earth science

Initial IMO Strategy on the reduction of GHG emissions from ships

Initial IMO Strategy on the reduction of GHG emissions from ships is a earth science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Initial IMO Strategy on the reduction of GHG emissions from ships rather than just read about it. In short: The Initial IMO Strategy on the reduction of GHG emissions from ships, or Initial IMO GHG Strategy, is the framework through which the International Maritime Organization (IMO) aims to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from international maritime shipping. GHG emissions from shipping are about 3% of total GHG emissions, and under this strategy the IMO envisions their elimination within this century.

Key takeaways

Initial IMO Strategy on the reduction of GHG emissions from ships belongs to earth science; place it in that map before memorising details.
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Connect Initial IMO Strategy on the reduction of GHG emissions from ships to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Initial IMO Strategy on the reduction of GHG emissions from ships from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The Initial IMO Strategy on the reduction of GHG emissions from ships, or Initial IMO GHG Strategy, is the framework through which the International Maritime Organization (IMO) aims to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from international maritime shipping. GHG emissions from shipping are about 3% of total GHG emissions, and under this strategy the IMO envisions their elimination within this century. However many companies and organizations say shipping should be decarbonized by 2050. International shipping was not covered by the 2015 Paris Agreement, which seeks to limit climate change. With emissions from shipping expected to increase both in absolute and relative terms, there was pressure on the IMO to take action. In 2016, an agreement was reached to develop a strategy, which culminated in the adoption of the initial strategy in 2018. In July 2023 (MEPC 80) IMO adopted the 2023 IMO Strategy on Reduction of GHG Emissions from Ships in accordance with the agreed programme of follow-up actions. While the policy of the IMO, the strategy is not legally binding upon members. It suggests a variety of measures which can be adopted along different time frames for member states to adopt. The strategy also envisions cooperation through which more developed countries can support those less able to adapt.

Background and development

While the topic was discussed at the Paris Conference, international maritime shipping, along with international civil aviation, was not covered by the 2015 Paris Agreement. These emissions are difficult to attribute, as the "flag state" (where a ship is registered), owner, crew, and ports of call can all be different countries. In addition to carbon dioxide, ships emit short-lived climate forcers such as black carbon and sulfur dioxide, as well as NOx. Understanding of how these interact is poor, making it difficult to fully assess the impact of shipping on climate change. Nonetheless, shipping is already the most efficient way to transport goods. Under the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, responsibility for the regulation of shipping emissions was assigned to the International Maritime Organization (IMO). (This was not replicated in the Paris Agreement, which did not allocate responsibility for international transport emissions. In July 2007, the IMO began discussing potential market-based mechanisms. In 2009, the EU said shipping should aim to cut emissions by 20% compared to 2005 levels by 2020. In January 2010, Norway proposed potential targets intended to put shipping in line with expectations for other economic sectors. While no targets of market-based mechanisms were adopted following these proposals, in 2011 the Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) was adopted. This implemented a set of energy efficiency standards for ships built after 2013. The same year, the Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plan was adopted, which required ship energy efficiency to be monitored. These were included in Annex VI of MARPOL 73/78. That the new regulations would apply equally to all countries regardless of economic development was a source of dispute relating to the principles of Common But Differentiated Responsibilities and No More Favourable Treatment. This meant they were passed by majority, rather than the usual consensus process. The EEDI has been expanded and clarified since its first implementation. While there were some efficiency improvements due to the EEDI and general economic incentives to improve efficiency, little significant action was taken by the IMO, in part due to disputes between companies from developing and developed nations. In 2012, international maritime transport made up 2.2% of global emissions. In 2014, the IMO calculated that the shipping industry produced 3.1% of all CO2 emissions, and that shipping emissions would rise as much as 250% by 2050, at which point they could make up 17% of all emissions. In May 2015 a proposal by the Marshall Islands to create an emissions target was discussed by the IMO, but no agreement was reached. In September 2015, the IMO Secretary-General argued against an emissions cap, stating that it would harm economic growth. By 2016, regulations were in place that would apply carbon efficiency standards to newly built ships beginning in 2019, but these would not be retroactive to existing ships. In November 2015, the European Union published an analysis suggesting that although complete decarbonisation by 2050 was unrealistic, annual emissions would have to end up lower than the expected 2020 emissions by that time to meet the Paris Agreement goal of temperatures rising no more than 2 °C.

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Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Initial IMO Strategy on the reduction of GHG emissions from ships

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Initial IMO Strategy on the reduction of GHG emissions from ships claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In earth science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Initial IMO Strategy on the reduction of GHG emissions from ships before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Initial IMO Strategy on the reduction of GHG emissions from ships ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Initial IMO Strategy on the reduction of GHG emissions from ships

In research: Initial IMO Strategy on the reduction of GHG emissions from ships appears in earth science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Initial IMO Strategy on the reduction of GHG emissions from ships in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Initial IMO Strategy on the reduction of GHG emissions from ships is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Climate change adaptation, Greenhouse gas emissions, International Maritime Organization, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Initial IMO Strategy on the reduction of GHG emissions from ships outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Initial IMO Strategy on the reduction of GHG emissions from ships in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Initial IMO Strategy on the reduction of GHG emissions from ships means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
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Frequently asked questions

What is Initial IMO Strategy on the reduction of GHG emissions from ships in simple terms?

Why does Initial IMO Strategy on the reduction of GHG emissions from ships matter?

Because it connects several earth science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Initial IMO Strategy on the reduction of GHG emissions from ships?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Initial IMO Strategy on the reduction of GHG emissions from ships.