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4 PREVENTION OF AIR POLLUTION FROM SHIPS
Entry into force of MARPOL Annex VI
4.1 The Committee noted that, as of 20 June 2003, Annex VI of MARPOL 73/78 has been ratified by 11 States representing well over 50% of the gross tonnage of the world's merchant shipping and that ratifications by only four more States would be required to satisfy the conditions for entry into force.
4.2 The Committee welcomed the statements made by Cyprus, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands and Spain that their national procedures for the ratification of the Protocol of 1997 to MARPOL 73/78 have reached the final stage and that they would be able to deposit their instrument of ratification for Annex VI before the end of the year. This would mean that the Annex might satisfy the entry into force conditions before the end of year 2003, and would enter into force 12 months later.
Co-operation between the Secretariats of IMO and UNFCCC
4.3 The Committee recalled its instruction at its last session to the Secretariat to initiate an informal meeting between the Secretariats of IMO and UNFCCC, with participation of member experts of the Working Group on Air Pollution in order to facilitate a closer co-operation between the two Secretariats.
4.4 The Committee noted the outcome of the Informal Meeting (MEPC 49/4/2) which was held in IMO on 6 March 2003. After initial consideration to the report, the Committee instructed the Working Group on Air Pollution to consider the report in detail, taking into consideration comments and views expressed by delegates.
4.5 The Committee expressed its appreciation of the work of the Informal Meeting and in particular the active role of the Secretariats of UNFCCC and IPCC.
Greenhouse gas emissions from ships, draft Assembly resolution and report of the intersessional correspondence group
4.6 The Committee recalled its decision at the last session, that before any action could be taken on the further development of the draft Assembly resolution on IMO policies and practices related to reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from ships, the policy issue on greenhouse gas emission in the context of Article 2.2 of the Kyoto Protocol to the UNFCCC, raised by China and supported by several States, should be solved.
4.7 The Committee recalled also that, at its last session, it noted the view of the Air Pollution Working Group that, as far as international shipping is concerned, all ships should operate under the same regime and that the concept of "No more favourable treatment of ships", embodied in MARPOL 73/78 and other IMO Conventions should be applied in this case.
4.8 The Committee noted the information by the Secretariat on the outcome of the eighteenth session of Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA) held from 4 to 13 June in Bonn, Germany. The issue on emissions resulting from fuel used in international aviation and maritime transport was considered by SBSTA. The Committee noted, in particular, that:
.1 SBSTA welcomed the information provided by IMO on methodological work relating to emission from international maritime transport and the ongoing work in this regard undertaken by IMO;
.2 SBSTA expressed its appreciation to IMO for its cooperation with the Secretariat of UNFCCC and, in particular, for organizing the Informal Meeting on methodological matters.
.3 SBSTA took note of the information on the outcome of the Informal Meeting held on 6 March 2003 in IMO; and
.4 SBSTA invited IMO, in consultation with the Secretariat of UNFCCC to organize an expert meeting, before the twentieth session of SBSTA (June 2004). The objective of the meeting should be to address options to improve the methodology for estimating and reporting emissions from international maritime transportation as an input to the work under way by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) on the revision of the Guidelines for preparing national greenhouse gas inventories under the relevant provisions of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and its Kyoto Protocol.
4.9 The Committee considered the views provided by United Kingdom in its submission MEPC 49/4/4 and by Norway in its submission MEPC 49/4/6 on various aspects related to the application of the draft Assembly resolution and agreed that the draft Assembly resolution on IMO Policies and Practices related to reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from ships should be based on a common policy applicable to all ships, rather than based on the provisions of Kyoto Protocol which states that the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions is under the responsibility of the Annex I countries of the Protocol.
4.10 The Committee instructed the Working Group on Air Pollution to review the draft Assembly resolution, with a view to approval by the Committee at its present session taking into consideration comments by delegates.
Report by the intersessional Correspondence Group on Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Ships
4.11 The Committee recalled that MEPC 48 agreed to establish an intersessional correspondence group under the leadership of Norway and approved the Terms of Reference for the Group as set out in annex 13 of document MEPC 48/21.
4.12 The Committee noted the information provided by Mr. Sveinung Oftedal (Norway), the co-ordinator of the correspondence group and approved in general the report of the correspondence group on Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Ships (MEPC 49/4).
4.13 The Committee considered the report of the correspondence group and noted the following comments by delegates, and instructed the Working Group on Air Pollution to review the report, taking into considerations comments made by delegates:
.1 the basic methodology for calculating and reporting GHG emissions from ships, as outlined in the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC) guidelines and good practice guidance appears to be well established and the best available approach for the time being. It is necessary for all countries to report according to the guidelines in order to establish consistent and transparent total figures to monitor the GHG emission trend. The IPCC Inventory Task Force is about to begin a revision of the IPCC guidelines, and the process will provide an opportunity to further improve the methodologies and data quality and availability for preparing estimates. Based on the comments received it is considered important that national government representatives are involved in this process to ensure that the methodology is improved also in the area related to emission from ships;
.2 with regard to quantification and indexing of CO2 emissions, there should be a clear link between an index and an overall target to reduce total emissions in the functional requirements;
.3 the three options (A to C) as identified by the correspondence group should be considered further;
.4 Member States are encouraged, with a view to strengthen and improve the methodology outside the framework of IMO, to participate in the IPCC initiated work to revise the IPCC guidelines; and
.5 proposals on possible mechanisms for reduction the emissions of refrigerant gases should be further considered by the Committee.
4.14 The Committee considered the proposals on options of CO2 indexing presented by Germany in its submissions MEPC 49/4/3 and MEPC 49/INF.19 and noted that Germany proposed that a future index system should be based on design criteria and a corrective value based on operational results, or in other words, an indexing system based on emission per tonne and mile.
4.15 The Committee considered the proposal by Norway (MEPC 49/4/5) on an indexing system based on a combination of an operational factor and benchmarking against a design factor that would promote both energy efficient design and operation. Norway suggested that such an indexing system would answer both the demand for establishing emission data and a ship type independent index for use in a simplified indexing system.
4.16 The Committee instructed the Working Group on Air Pollution to consider the two proposals in detail, taking into considerations comments made by delegates and with a view to develop a more detailed work plan for the development of an indexing approach that should include activity on choice of methodology for indexing and further assessment of suitable mechanisms for an indexing approach in which the methodology for calculations of design and operational factors should be established in Guidelines or a Code that should be representative for different ship types.
Worldwide average of sulphur content of residual fuel oil supplied for use on board ships
4.17 The Committee recalled that MEPC 43 adopted resolution MEPC 82(43), Guidelines for monitoring the worldwide average sulphur content of residual fuel oils supplied for use on-board ships and established a monitoring project under the leadership of the Netherlands. Based on the monitoring results, MEPC 48 established the rolling average of sulphur content of residual fuel oils as 2.7% and the reference value referred to in paragraph 5 of the Guidelines as 2.7% based on monitoring for the years 1999 through 2001.
4.18 The Committee at its last session noted that funding for the present monitoring project would run out by the end of 2003 and agreed to consider necessary funding for the continuation of the monitoring project at this session.
4.19 The Committee considered the submission by the Netherlands (MEPC 49/4/1) and noted that almost 70% of all samples taken had sulphur content between 2 and 3.5% m/m. Almost 50% of all samples taken had sulphur content between 2 and 3% m/m. Only 1% of the samples have sulphur content higher than 4% m/m. On the basis of the samples taken, the new three-year rolling average covering the years 2000 to 2002 can be established as 2.67% m/m.
4.20 The Committee noted further that the Netherlands suggested two options for funding a continuation of the monitoring project as follows:
.1 costs to be borne by the Organization; or
.2 costs to be borne by volunteer Member States.
4.21 The Committee, noting that the Netherlands would be prepared to continue the monitoring activities subject to the availability of funds, agreed to invite Member States and the Secretariat to explore further possibilities of a voluntary scheme for funding for the continuation of the project at MEPC 51 in March 2004, before approaching the Council seeking the funds from the budget of the Organization.
On-board NOx measurement and monitoring
4.22 The Committee, recalling that MEPC 41 instructed the DE Sub-Committee to develop Guidelines for on-board NOx measurement and monitoring, considered the draft Guidelines and an associated draft PC resolution, as prepared by DE 46 (annex 2 of document DE 46/32).
4.23 The Committee, in considering the submission by the Republic of Korea (MEPC 49/10/8) on proposal for changes of arrangements and procedures to the draft Guidelines for on-board NOx verification procedures, agreed to note the proposals and not to make any changes to the draft Guidelines at this stage.
4.24 The Committee adopted the Guidelines for on-board NOx verification procedure - Direct measurement and monitoring method by resolution MEPC.103(49), as set out in annex 5.
4.25 The Committee noted the information provided by Japan (MEPC 49/INF.10) on a study on continuous NOx monitoring under the condition of commercial voyages that uses various kinds of residual fuels.
Introduction of the HSSC into MARPOL Annex VI
4.26 The Committee, recalling that MEPC 41 instructed the FSI Sub-Committee to consider the issue of introducing the Harmonized System of Survey and Certification (HSSC) into Annex VI of MARPOL 73/78, considered the draft amendments to Annex VI, as prepared by FSI 11, and as set out in paragraphs 16.7 to 16.9 and annex 8 of document FSI 11/23.
4.27 The Committee, noting that Annex VI of MARPOL could enter into force before the end of 2004 taking into account the information provided at this session on the progress for ratifications, approved the draft amendments to MARPOL Annex VI on the introduction of HSSC into the Annex, which are set out in annex 6. The draft amendments should be circulated when the entry-into-force conditions of Annex VI have been met for adoption at the earliest opportunity when the Annex is in force.
Guidelines for the sampling of fuel oil for determination of compliance with Annex VI of MARPOL 73/78
4.28 The Committee noted the information provided by Singapore (MEPC 49/INF.18) on the development of the "Singapore Standard Code of Practice for Bunkering (SS CP 60) by Bunker barges/Tankers", which is expected to provide the shipping and bunkering communities in Singapore with confidence in the attainment of quality in bunkers.
Establishing the Working Group on Air Pollution
4.29 The Committee re-established the Working Group on Air Pollution under the chairmanship of Mr. Bin Okamura (Japan), and agreed to the following Terms of Reference for its work:
.1 to review the draft Assembly resolution taking into account submissions by Members and comments made at Plenary, with a view to prepare a final draft text for the approval by the Committee at this session for submission to the Assembly;
.2 to consider the report of the intersessional correspondence group, taking into consideration submissions by Member States, the outcome of the discussion at Plenary and the report of the outcome of the informal mailing between the Secretariats of IMO and UNFCCC (MEPC 49/4/2);
.3 to consider future work of the Committee; and
.4 to report to the Committee its findings on Thursday, 17 July 2003, in the afternoon.
Report of the Working Group
4.30 Having received the report of the Working Group (MEPC 49/WP.13), the Committee took the following actions.
4.31 The Committee approved the draft Assembly resolution on IMO Policies and Practices related to reduction of Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Ships attached as annex 7, and instructed the Secretariat to submit it to Assembly 23 with a view to adoption.
4.32 The Committee noted the following statement by China:
.1 The Chinese delegation reiterated its position that the UNFCCC and its Kyoto Protocol are the fundamental international instruments on the global limitation or reduction of emissions of greenhouse gases. These instruments have established the principle that the developed and the developing countries have common but differentiated responsibilities, and require the developed countries to take the lead in shouldering the responsibility of emission reduction. Therefore, the Chinese delegation is of the opinion that IMO's consideration on reduction of greenhouse gases emissions from ships should adhere to the framework and the fundamental principles established in UNFCCC and the Kyoto Protocol.
.2 The draft Assembly resolution on IMO's Policies and Practices related to reduction of Greenhouse Gas Emissions from ships is contradictory to the fundamental principle of UNFCCC and its Kyoto Protocol, therefore, the Chinese delegation cannot agree to MEPC 49's approval of this draft resolution to be submitted to the twenty-third Assembly and should be further reviewed.
.3 China further suggests that IMO should invite Conference of Parties (COP) to UNFCCC to give its opinion on this issue.
4.33 The Committee approved the report of the intersessional correspondence group on GHG emissions from ships under the leadership of Norway.
4.34 The Committee noted that the outcome of the informal meeting between the Secretariats of IMO and UNFCCC provided important input to the IMO work on reduction or limitation of GHG emissions from ships.
4.35 The Committee, noting the invitation by SBSTA 18 for IMO to organize in consultation with the Secretariat of UNFCCC, an expert meeting or workshop before SBSTA 20, instructed the Secretariat to initiate an informal meeting of experts, preferable during January 2004.
4.36 The Committee urged Members to accept the invitation from IPCC and to participate in the revision of the "Revised 1996 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories" and noted that a Scoping Meeting, to be held in Geneva on 16 September 2003, would initiate the work.
4.37 The Committee noted the Working Group's preliminary discussions on the establishment of a GHG emission baseline, methodology to describe the GHG- efficiency of a ship, guidelines on GHG emission indexing scheme and the evaluation of technical, operational and market-based solutions, as identified in the operative paragraph 1 of the draft Assembly resolution.
4.38 The Committee, in order to progress the development of an IMO GHG emission indexing scheme, agreed to establish an intersessional correspondence group under the leadership of Norway and approved Terms of Reference as set out in annex 8.
4.39 The Committee approved the revised Work Plan on progressing the greenhouse gas emissions issue (MEPC 49/WP.13, annex 2).
4.40 In order to progress the development of an IMO GHG emission-indexing scheme, the Committee agreed to reconvene the Working Group on Air Pollution during MEPC 50.
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