London, 17 February 2025: Ahead of the 18th session of the International Maritime Organization’s Intersessional Working Group on Greenhouse Gases (IMO’s ISWG-GHG 18), Opportunity Green has released a statement calling for ambitious, just and equitable transition. With critical decisions on international shipping’s mid-term decarbonisation measures still pending, Opportunity Green is urging Member States to support a high-ambition agreement, including a global GHG emissions levy.

Blánaid Sheeran, Policy Officer for Climate Diplomacy says:

"The IMO’s ‘basket’ of mid-term emissions reductions measures must be ready for approval in April 2025 (at MEPC 83), before being formally adopted in October. And yet, many major details are yet to be agreed.  

To stay on track and drive international shipping’s decarbonisation efforts, countries must demonstrate their support for ambitious, just and equitable policy solutions at ISWG-GHG 18 this month. We’ve already seen a large number of countries unite around the need for a flat rate levy on all of international shipping’s polluting GHG emissions, with 48 Member States submitting a joint proposal highlighting the support for a price on shipping’s pollution. During the upcoming meetings, we hope to hear more countries champion a universal price on shipping’s emissions, in particular calling for a high starting price and revenues to be distributed in a way that’s just and equitable, and leaves no one behind.  

No matter the final design of the basket of measures, there will be some form of revenue generation, likely involving significant funds. The way these revenues are distributed will have a direct impact on the nature of shipping's decarbonisation and on whether the IMO fulfils its commitment to secure a just and equitable transition.”