The Global Maritime Energy Efficiency Partnerships Project (GloMEEP), which aims to support increased uptake and implementation of energy-efficiency measures for shipping, was formally launched on September 28 in Singapore, at the International Maritime Organization (IMO)-Singapore Future-Ready Shipping 2015 conference.
This Global Environment Facility (GEF)/United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)/IMO project, formally designated “Transforming the Global Maritime Transport Industry towards a Low Carbon Future through Improved Energy Efficiency,” will focus in particular on building capacity to implement technical and operational measures in developing countries, where shipping is increasingly concentrated.
Funding for the two-year project was agreed in July. IMO will execute the project, which marks the beginning of a new blueprint for creating global, regional and national partnerships to build the capacity to address maritime energy efficiency and for countries to mainstream this issue within their own development policies, programmes and dialogues.
Attending the GloMEEP launch were representatives of the lead pilot countries for the project: Argentina, China, Georgia, India, Jamaica, Malaysia, Morocco, Panama, Philippines and South Africa. The lead pilot countries will be supported in taking a fast-track approach to pursuing relevant legal, policy and institutional reforms, driving national and regional government action and industry innovation to support the effective implementation of IMO’s energy efficiency requirements.
The project inception meeting and global project task force meeting will take place in Singapore on September 30 and October 1.
IMO’s third study on greenhouse gas emissions from ships (2014) estimates that international shipping emitted 796 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) in 2012, down from 885 million tonnes in 2007. This represented 2.2% of the global emissions of CO2 in 2012, down from 2.8% in 2007. However, the study’s “business as usual” scenarios forecast a growth in CO2 emissions for international maritime transport of between 50% to 250% in the period to 2050, depending on future economic and energy developments.