India on Monday asked the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to focus on a realistic target of ensuring that net zero carbon fuels account for 5 percent of the marine fuel mix by 2030, without any additional checkpoints during this exploratory and take-off period.
Addressing the plenary session of the 80th session of IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee here, Indian delegate Ajithkumar Sukumaran, Inspector General-Cum-Additional DG, Ministry of Shipping, said, “any unrealistic target will put undue pressure on governments to resort to flawed policies, industry rushing and unsustainable investment and research pushing ill-conceived and immature technological solutions will all have long-term, irreversible impacts on the industry.”
This is why India, which falls into the extreme risk category on the Climate Change Vulnerability Index, has submitted a paper to the MEPC, proposing a way forward for phasing in a reduction strategy while ensuring a smooth, achievable and inclusive transition. leave anyone behind.
While India has taken a positive stand on the proposal for a financial levy on greenhouse gas emissions, it has said that the motive behind such measures should not be to penalize the industry but to encourage the transition to green energy.
“If the primary objective is a green transition, economic proposals should necessarily explore the possibilities of obtaining appropriate funding not only for research and development in the maritime sector, but also for the production of alternative fuels and the development of infrastructure for its supply networks in ports around the world. globe,” said Sukumaran.
The Indian delegate also warned other delegates that any economic measure alone or as part of a set of measures may not achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement without a serious impact on trade unless affordable future fuels, cost-effective future engines and training are available. manpower is provided to operate them.
He also called for proposals for revenue generation and strategic distribution of the revenue so generated to deserving sectors.
Sukumaran said many of the economic proposals currently on the MEPC 80 table directly or indirectly advocate pricing and trading of greenhouse gas emissions, in one form or another, and such volatile, volatile and speculative proposals would make future investment decisions into new carbon-free technologies. uncertain and unattractive to developing countries.
“We are equally grateful to the co-sponsors of various economic elements, including China, Norway, Japan and the ICS, and we see merit in all of them, although they need further fine-tuning and benchmarking,” the Indian delegate said.
Thus, India demanded that it be considered to take all such financial proposals on board and give them intensive consideration in the upcoming sessions to come up with a more meaningful and comprehensive proposal before adopting them in future. India also pledged to “wholeheartedly support” any IMO initiative to control emissions from the maritime sector.
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