The Intersessional Working Group on Air Pollution and Energy Efficiency (ISWG-APEE) reports to the IMO’s Maritime Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) and is tasked to consider matters related to the short-term GHG reduction measure and more specifically to the CII Review. ISWG-APEE 1 (2-4 April) will produce a report on their deliberations which will be considered by MEPC 83 (7-11 April 2024).
Key Topics
The key topics that will be discussed at ISWG-APEE 1 and may be of interest to Members include:
- identified challenges/gaps in the short-term GHG reduction measure
- Development of draft amendments to existing instruments and/or development of new instruments, as appropriate, with a view to finalization
Executive summary
The agenda item considers various submissions related to the ongoing review of the short-term GHG reduction measures, particularly the Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII) framework.
Key themes include:
- Bahamas, Liberia, ICS, BIMCO and INTERCARGO submission: propose revised reference lines excluding idle emissions and present an analysis carried out using Data from a total of 2,250 bulk carriers
- Operational Challenges: Several papers highlight the need for adjustments to account for idle time, port waiting, and short voyages. RINA and others propose metric revisions to exclude non-propulsion emissions from CII calculations.
- Work Plans & SEEMP Enhancements: The EU and UK propose suggestions to strengthen SEEMP as an alternative to rigid CII-based enforcement.
- Mid-Term Measures & Overlap: Some submissions argue for integrating mid-term measures with short-term adjustments to ensure a coherent regulatory framework beyond 2030.
- Transparency & Data Access: Proposals vary on making IMO DCS data public, with some advocating for anonymized access while others caution against premature database expansion.
Discussions at ISWG-APEE 1 and MEPC 83 will shape the future direction of short-term GHG measures, particularly in refining CII methodologies and ensuring fair and effective regulatory mechanisms.
