Environmental groups concerned by IMO failure to align to 1.5°C limit

Civil society groups have criticised the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) failure to align the shipping industry with the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C temperature-rise warming limit, at the 80^th Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) meeting last week.

Member states did not agree on absolute emission reduction targets for 2030 and 2040 but agreed on “indicative checkpoints” of an at least 20% reduction (while striving for 30%) by 2030 and at least 70% reduction (while striving for 80%) by 2040.

The revised greenhouse gas (GHG) strategy aims to reach net zero only “by or around, i.e., close to 2050” depending upon “national circumstances”.