By
Elizabeth Robinson |
The International Maritime Organization’s secretary-general Kitack Lim has issued a statement defending the agency’s approach to climate change.
Lim said: “IMO’s efforts to reduce harmful air emissions from ships spans decades, and continues this week with the second meeting of the Intersessional Working Group on Reduction of GHG Emissions from Ships.”
His statement follows a report published by InfluenceMap, which says: “the shipping industry has aggressively lobbied the UN to obstruct climate change action for shipping, ensuring it remains the only sector in the world not currently subject to any emission reduction measures.”
The report says: “Despite being responsible for close to 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions, the shipping sector remains outside of the UN Paris Agreement on climate. It has achieved this through corporate capture of the IMO, the UN body responsible for regulating global shipping.”
In his statement, Lim highlights: “the make-up of national delegations to IMO is entirely a matter for the countries themselves, and those countries who wish to include industry technical experts or others may do so.”
He adds: “IMO currently has consultative arrangements with 77 NGOs. They include environmental groups, seafarer organisations, and groups representing classification societies, shipbuilders and owners of different types of ships. The range of NGOs represented at IMO rightfully covers the broad spectrum of shipping, maritime and social interests.”
For more, read the full statement from IMO secretary-general Kitack Lim and extracts from the InfluenceMap report: Corporate capture of the IMO.