Regulating Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Ships : The Role of the International Maritime Organization

Three international regimes are relevant to the regulation of greenhouse gas emissions from maritime transport: (1) the UN climate change regime; (2) the International Maritime Organization; and (3) the UN Law of the Sea Convention (UNCLOS). This essays surveys the three regimes and their interactions, focusing on the International Maritime Organization and, in particular, the 2011 amendments to MARPOL Annex VI. Although the MARPOL Annex VI amendments constitute the only binding sectoral agreement adopted to date to limit greenhouse gases, IMO action falls well short of what is needed to combat climate change, and it is unclear whether and when the IMO might adopt additional measures, such as a market-based mechanism