International Maritime Organization and Decarbonization of Maritime Industry: Mandate and Instruments

Abstract

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) makes a crucial contribution to the decarbonization of the maritime industry within the United National Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) objectives. The IMO’s mandate provides for many activities to reduce CO2 emissions from international shipping, including imposing binding and non-binding instruments. The regulations on energy efficiency for ships play a critical role in implementing this IMO strategy. The article examines the conditions of Chapter 4 of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) Annex VI. It focuses on the Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) as a non-administrative mechanism and the Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plan (SEEMP) as the operational activity. This article also covers the legal aspects of international cooperation, the dissemination of energy-efficient technologies in the maritime sector, and the IMO’s contribution to the Norway GreenVoyage2050 project to promote MARPOL rules in national legislation.