Pacific Island Nations Champion Historic Emissions Reduction Plan Amid Global Resistance
In a significant step towards combating climate change, Pacific Island nations have successfully advocated for a new emissions reduction plan at the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), the UN’s shipping specialist agency. This strategy aims to align with the goals of the Paris Agreement, despite global resistance.
Under increasing pressure to address the carbon footprint of the global maritime transportation industry, the IMO’s 80th Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC80) has set its sights on a climate pathway consistent with a 1.5-degree increase in global temperatures. After two weeks of intense negotiations, member states have agreed upon the 2023 IMO Greenhouse Gas Strategy.
A collective of Pacific nations, known as the 6PAC Plus, has been instrumental in achieving this milestone. Despite facing robust opposition, the group—which includes the Marshall Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Tuvalu, Tonga, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Nauru, and Samoa—has advocated tirelessly for the shipping industry to fully decarbonise by 2050.
Vanuatu’s Climate Change Minister, Ralph Regevanu, acknowledges the strategy’s imperfections but remains hopeful about its potential to meet the 1.5 degrees goal. The Pacific nations initially advocated for zero emissions from global shipping by 2050, proposing emission cuts of at least 37% by 2030 and 96% by 2040.
While the agreed-upon strategy falls short of these ambitious targets, it still marks progress in the right direction. It calls for a 20% reduction in emissions by 2030, ideally pushing towards 30%, and a minimum 70% reduction by 2040, ideally reaching 80%—figures that are relative to the emissions levels in 2008.
Albon Ishoda, the Marshall Islands’ special presidential envoy, credits the Pacific islands’ unyielding lobbying efforts for achieving these heightened targets. Despite not being as ambitious as initially desired, these targets mark an improvement over earlier drafts.
With these targets now set, the immediate challenge lies in implementing them. As per Kitck Lim, the IMO chief, the strategy is a monumental development that signals the start of more intensive work.
Pacific nations are aware of the significant task that lies ahead to ensure international shipping aligns with the 1.5 degrees limit. To accomplish this, they anticipate the need to adopt a universal GHG levy and global fuel standards urgently.
Though met with opposition from shipping and climate campaigners who deem the plan inadequate, the strategy remains an integral step towards a sustainable future. The relentless efforts of climate vulnerable countries continue to underscore the urgency of this issue, adding momentum to the global fight against climate change.
