The International Association of Dry Cargo Shipowners  has submitted proposals to the International Maritime Organization calling for a review of the Carbon Intensity Indicator at the 82nd session of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 82), being held between 30th September and 4th October at the IMO Headquarters in London.

Drawing on extensive studies that analysed data from over 5,600 bulk carriers, INTERCARGO has highlighted several key issues with the current CII system:

In light of these findings, INTERCARGO has proposed that the IMO:

Mr Dimitris Monioudis, Vice-Chair of INTERCARGO’s Technical Committee, emphasised the rigour of the analysis underlying these recommendations: “Our proposals are grounded in a comprehensive examination of verified IMO Data Collection System data from 2022. This wasn’t just a cursory review – it involved meticulous analysis of over 5,600 bulk carriers, conducted in collaboration with three major classification societies: ABS, Bureau Veritas, and DNV. This level of scrutiny provides a robust foundation for our recommendations and underscores the urgent need for a review of the current CII system.”

INTERCARGO Chairman, Mr Dimitris Fafalios, added: “The current CII framework, while well-intentioned, may be leading us down a path which contradicts our ultimate goal of reducing overall emissions. We’re seeing situations where ships might actually increase their total emissions to improve their CII rating. This is clearly not the outcome we’re aiming for so it is crucial that we refine this system to ensure it truly incentivises energy efficiency and emissions reduction across our industry.”

INTERCARGO has urged the MEPC’s Working Group on Air Pollution and Energy Efficiency to examine how the CII can be adjusted to better align with the IMO’s decarbonisation goals for global shipping.