Flexible approach can yield agreement on tackling greenhouse gas emissions

LAST week, Singapore played a significant role at a five-day virtual meeting of International Maritime Organization (IMO) member states.

The purpose of the meeting was to make progress, though not come to a decision, on a package of mandatory CO2 reduction measures for the existing global commercial fleet. It was held because the 75th meeting of the IMO's Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 75), scheduled for March 30 to April 3, was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. There was widespread agreement on the importance of maintaining the momentum in critical inter-governmental discussions on shipping's contribution to tackling the climate crisis.

Simon Bennett, the deputy secretary general of the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), explained to The Business Times: "Because of Covid-19, this new IMO agreement cannot be finalised until the postponed Marine Environment Protection Committee convenes later this year. The intention of this week's meeting was to make best use of the hiatus by increasing understanding of some complex technical issues about which governments still hold differing views."