The NUS Centre for International Law (CIL) is hosting a workshop in Singapore on 13–14 November 2018. The workshop is being organised in collaboration with the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA).

At its 72nd Session in April 2018, the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) adopted an initial strategy on the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from ships, setting out a vision to reduce GHG emissions from international shipping. The vision confirms IMO’s commitment to reducing GHG emissions from international shipping and, as a matter of urgency, aims to phase them out as soon as possible this century. More specifically, under the identified ‘levels of ambition’, the initial Strategy envisages that the total annual GHG emissions be reduced by at least 50 per cent by 2050 compared to 2008, while, at the same time, pursuing efforts towards phasing them out entirely. The strategy includes a specific reference to ‘a pathway of CO2 emissions reduction consistent with the Paris Agreement temperature goals’.

The workshop will examine the historical work and recent developments at the IMO regarding the reduction of GHG emissions from shipping. Through presentations from legal and industry experts, the initial IMO Strategy on GHG reduction will be explored from legal, technical and industry points of view. The technical background and major issues involved in the reduction of GHG emissions from ships will be outlined in terms of the engineering and operational changes required to meet the new standards, as well as the potential role of alternative fuels. The problems and prospects associated with the use of market-based measures to reduce emissions, as well as their possible role in the IMO strategy, will be discussed. Presentations will also explore the practical issues and best practices of GHG emissions reduction from different perspectives, including from the refining and bunkering industries, engine and ship manufacturers, ship owners, classification societies, and from the environmental perspective. Representatives from major port and flag state administrations will discuss their respective implementation and enforcement issues, challenges, obligations and recommendations. The workshop will also introduce perspectives and experiences from Europe, countries in transition and developing countries. The workshop will conclude by exploring the way forward, through strategies, issues, economic realities and prospects.

Please visit the workshop’s webpage for the draft programme.

For registration, please email Ms. Gerry Ng of CIL at gerry.ng@nus.edu.sg.