SYBAss has been recently accepted as member of the International Maritime Organisation’s (IMO) intersessional working group on greenhouse gases as a non-governmental organisation with consultative status. SYBAss has long participated in all meetings of IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee, the decision-making body established to address environmental issues. With SYBAss at the table, the evolution of regulations which will characterise the entire maritime industry, including superyachts, can be monitored and influenced, ensuring that the needs of the superyacht sector are taken care of.
To contribute to the global fight against climate change, IMO adopted mandatory measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. One of these was the initial greenhouse gas strategy which aims to reduce carbon intensity of international shipping by 40% by 2030, compared to 2008. As part of the maritime sector, these measures apply to the superyacht industry. To help move forward with the implementation of the initial greenhouse gas strategy, the intersessional working group was established to discuss various proposals from the member states.
At the most recent intersessional working group meeting, draft amendments to MARPOL were agreed upon which would require ships to combine a technical and an operational approach to reduce their carbon intensity. The next Marine Environment Protection Committee, scheduled for November 2020, will approve the results of the working group.