IMO CARES

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IMO CARES (Coordinated Actions to Reduce Emissions from Shipping) is expected to be a long-term programme with the objective to accelerate demonstration of green technologies and their deployment globally in a manner that facilitates blue economic growth in developing regions. IMO CARES aims to coordinate and link the various global initiatives together, such as Research and Development Centres (R&D Centres), Maritime Technology Cooperation Centres (MTCCs), pilot technology demonstration projects as well as green financing initiatives which will accelerate the decarbonization process of the maritime sector in developing countries, especially in Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and Least Developed Countries (LDCs).

The IMO CARES Foundation Project

The 9-month preparatory phase of the IMO CARES project (IMO CARES Foundation Project) is funded by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and will undertake all the preparatory activities to develop and design this long-term global programme (IMO CARES), including central coordination and a knowledge partnership mechanism to support the programme. Consultations during the Foundation Project will identify various key stakeholders such as donors to CARES full-size programme, regional Maritime Technology Cooperation Centre's (MTCCs), decarbonization R&D Centres, Global Industry Alliances, financial institutions, etc. who could be part of a future long-term IMO CARES programme, which will take a key role for a coordinated global effort to accelerate demonstration of green technologies and their deployment globally.   

The Foundation Project will undertake regional and global consultation workshops to design the key elements and framework of this global programme. Since IMO established the MTCCs in 5 regions (Asia, Africa, Caribbean, Latin America and Pacific) under the EU-IMO GMN project, they have demonstrated a strategic role in making significant progress in the respective regions in the coordination of technology-related pilot demonstration projects.  There might be a need to expand this global network to other sub-regions, therefore the IMO CARES Foundation Project will also study the feasibility of expanding IMO's MTCCs into other regions.  

Key goals of the Foundation Project

  • Design a long-term technology cooperation and capacity building programme focusing on the needs of developing countries, SIDS and LDCs, that will support the IMO GHG Strategy;

  • Engage with key stakeholders to support the long-term CARES programme;

  • Identify demonstration projects dealing with new technologies and alternative fuels that can be implemented through MTCCs and other key parts of the global partnership mechanism, with the help of International Financial Institutions and the private sector;  

  • Define capacity building activities that are needed to accelerate the uptake of appropriate technologies and alternative fuels by the industry, especially in developing countries and, particularly, in SIDS and LDCs.

IMO CARES and Sustainable Development Goals

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development provides a shared blueprint for prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future. At its heart are the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are an urgent call for action in a global partnership. Among the SDGs, SDG 13 (Climate Action) is central to IMO CARES, but the work of IMO and IMO CARES can also be linked to other SDGs, as can be seen below. 

SDG 7.jpgSDG 9.pngSDG 13.pngSDG 14.pngSDG 17.png

For more information on the Project, please contact Mr. Anton Rhodes, IMO CARES’ Project Manager at arhodes@imo.org.