The IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) will meet in London from 14–17 October for its second extraordinary session (MEPC/ES.2), with adoption of the proposed Net-Zero Framework (NZF) as the main agenda item.
According to the session’s provisional agenda, the committee will consider draft amendments to MARPOL Annex VI to establish the NZF as a new regulatory chapter. The framework outlines a global system to control the greenhouse gas intensity of marine fuels and introduce a pricing mechanism for shipping’s emissions.
The meeting will also address a roadmap for the framework’s entry into force, including timelines for implementation and supporting technical guidelines.
Other key items on the agenda include a review of existing short-term GHG measures such as the Energy Efficiency Existing Ship Index (EEXI) and the Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII), proposed updates to IMO data collection rules, and submissions on black carbon and exhaust gas cleaning systems.
Delegates will further consider proposals for new Emission Control Areas and updates to IMO’s action plan on marine plastic litter from ships.
The IMO said the extraordinary session aims to finalise regulatory details underpinning the 2023 IMO Strategy on the Reduction of GHG Emissions from Ships, which targets net-zero emissions “by or around 2050.”
