Secretary-General Urges States at Marine Environment Protection Committee Meeting to Adopt Ambitious Strategy Aligned with Climate Goals

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General António Guterres:

The Secretary-General stresses the importance of global efforts to address climate change at the meeting being held in London this week of the Marine Environment Protection Committee of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) of the United Nations.

Given the increasing vulnerability of all nations, economies and communities to the impacts of climate change, policy and market signals need to quickly align to encourage the maritime industry to make the needed transition towards zero net greenhouse-gas emissions.  The Secretary-General calls on nations to adopt an ambitious Initial Strategy at IMO that would support the modernization of the shipping sector in a manner consistent with the ambitions of the Paris Agreement.