February 21, 2025 – The 12th Session of the IMO’s Sub-Committee on Pollution Prevention Concludes Successfully in London. From January 27 to 31, representatives from the global maritime industry converged to deliberate on effective strategies to prevent and combat marine pollution.
During the session, the sub-committee reached a broad consensus on the draft “2025 Action Plan on Marine Plastic Litter from Ships”. This draft is segmented into four phases: short-term, medium-term, long-term, and continuous actions, based on the anticipated timeline for completion, aiming to comprehensively address the issue of marine plastic litter generated by ships. The draft will be submitted to the 83rd session of the Marine Environment Protection Committee for consideration and approval, potentially injecting new impetus into global marine environmental protection efforts.
According to AsiaMB’s industry insights, the draft specifically includes a dedicated action to develop mandatory measures to mitigate the environmental risks associated with the carriage of plastic pellets in cargo containers. To provide a legal framework for the introduction of such measures in the future, the sub-committee has also formulated a detailed table outlining various considerations and conducted an in-depth analysis of the feasibility of revising relevant mandatory instruments, including an assessment of the advantages and disadvantages of the regulations and their implementation impact.
Furthermore, the action plan outlined in the draft sets completion targets by 2030, aiming to achieve a series of key outcomes. These include reducing marine plastic litter from fishing vessels and shipping activities, enhancing seafarer training and public education, improving the efficiency of port reception facilities, raising awareness about marine plastic litter from ships, and strengthening international cooperation to jointly tackle the issue of marine plastic litter.