Experts begin assessment of life cycle GHG intensity and sustainability of marine fuels

Independent scientific experts have initiated a scientific and technical assessment of issues related to the implementation of the IMO Guidelines on Life Cycle GHG Intensity of Marine Fuels (LCA Guidelines). The experts are meting under the auspices of the Joint Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Environmental Protection (GESAMP), which established the new Working Group on Life Cycle GHG Intensity of Marine Fuels (GESAMP-LCA) following a recommendation by IMO's Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC).

This work will support MEPC's work on further developing the IMO LCA framework.

The first meeting of this new GESAMP Working Group was held in IMO Headquarters (10-13 September ). The Group's report will be submitted to MEPC 83 (April 2025), after its peer review by GESAMP. During its first meeting, the Working Group discussed matters related to the methodological refinement of emission quantification in the IMO LCA Guidelines, sustainability themes and aspects, as well as methodological requirements with regard to certification.

The members of the GESAMP-LCA Working Group, acting in their individual capacity, are from Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, China, Finland, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Sweden, United Kingdom and United States.