IMO, the Ministry of Climate and Environment of Norway and the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) have signed a new Memorandum of Understanding, with the intention to collectively undertake technical cooperation activities to assist developing countries in their efforts to reduce emissions from ships and in ports.
The MoU was signed March 20 by Kitack Lim, Secretary-General of IMO; Sveinung Oftedal, Chief Negotiator for Green Shipping of the Norwegian Ministry of Climate and Environment; and Teo Eng Dih, Chief Executive of MPA. The signing took place on the side-lines of the 14th Intersessional Working Group on the Reduction of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions from Ships (ISWG-GHG 14), which is being held at the IMO Headquarters in London, United Kingdom.
The signatories of the MoU will work together to exchange experience, knowledge and best practice, and undertake joint resource mobilization with a view to cooperate and collaborate on actions to reduce GHG emissions from ships, and the activities of ships in ports.
This work will be carried out within the frameworks of the NextGEN Connect initiative – which aims to bring industry, academia and global research centers together, to offer inclusive solutions for maritime decarbonization for trials along shipping routes; and the GreenVoyage2050 Project – which supports developing countries, including Small Islands Developing States (SIDS) and Least Developed Countries (LDCs), in their efforts to implement the IMO Strategy on the Reduction of GHG Emissions from Ships.
Sveinung Oftedal said: “Joining forces through this cooperation will strengthen the support to decarbonizing the maritime sector in developing countries. We very much look forward to working together with Singapore in these supportive actions, as well as widening the cooperation with the IMO in their leading role to assist decarbonization of the maritime sector in developing countries.”
Teo Eng Dih said: “We are pleased to collaborate with the IMO and the Norwegian Ministry of Climate and Environment to accelerate decarbonization efforts in the maritime industry. This MoU is an important partnership that brings together our projects with the mutual goal to test solutions along shipping routes. This will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions from shipping in an inclusive manner and with the support of like-minded States, aggregate demand along the supply chain.”
Photo credit: iStock/MAGNIFIER
