Challenges of decarbonising shipping for small island states (SIDS) must be considered carefully, according to the Cook Islands.

The Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC), 82^nd session, met in-person at International Maritime Organization (IMO) Headquarters in London from September 30 to October 4. The MEPC meeting was preceded by the 17^th meeting of the Intersessional Working Group on Reduction of GHG Emissions from Ships (ISWG-GHG 17), from 23 to 27 September 2024.

The Cook Islands delegation was led by director for Treaties, Multilaterals and Oceans, Sandrina Thondoo, who was supported by Cook Islands permanent representative to the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), H.E Captain Ian Finley.

MEPC 82 discussed a range of environmental matters, including proposed mid-term measures for the reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from ships, enhancing energy efficiency of shipping, tackling marine litter, ballast water management and underwater noise reduction.

The next MEPC meeting (MEPC 83) is scheduled for April 7 to 11, 2025. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration (MFAI), between now and the next session, member states are expected to work to find further areas of convergence and refine the draft text with a view to approval of the amendments at MEPC 83 in April 2025 and adoption in October 2025.

“The Cook Islands remains committed to the tackling of climate change and advocating for the Pacific agreed position of keeping 1.5 degrees alive. As a country and region already at the forefront of the climate change impacts, the process of decarbonising the maritime sector must imperatively be done without causing any additional undue burden to our economy and livelihoods. Like many other SIDS, LDCs and developing countries, shipping is our lifeline, without which our economies and communities cannot be sustained,” MFAI said.

“As a member state of the IMO since 2008, the Cook Islands supports the mandate of this Technical Specialised Organisation to ensure safe, secure, timely, cost effective, sustainable shipping to the world. It is therefore, with great concern that we note proposals identifying the maritime sector as a vehicle for raising considerable revenues for global climate finance; through a levy on shipping, a measure that could impact global trade and directly affect the sustainable development of our country.

“Such measures require careful consideration from all member states, in particular SIDS and LDCs and any decision to support them can only be done once a thorough understanding of their impacts on our socio-economic context is achieved. Large emitters must fulfil their financial commitments under the Paris Agreement directly from their own financial resources rather than shifting the financial burden onto developing nations, including SIDS and LDCs, through a tax on shipping, or as it is being called, a ‘levy on shipping’.”