The International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) is at the center of the action for the shipping industry’s decarbonization.

With MEPC’s 82nd session coming up, we had several IMO delegates from across the industry join Setting Course, an ABS Podcast, to discuss what they expect from the meeting, the hottest topics that will be discussed, and issues future meetings will need to address.

If you like this episode, share it with your friends, leave a review, or send feedback to [email protected]. Learn more about how ABS is supporting the maritime industry at www.eagle.org.

To hear about the outcomes from the MEPC 82 meeting, view our webinar on demand here: https://bit.ly/3UCrm1x

Key Points

• MEPC 82 could be a pivotal committee meeting, determining the future of decarbonization in the shipping industry.
• Mid-term measures and the review of the Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII) framework will likely play a big role in the meeting.
• Other important issues to be addressed include the Ballast Water Management Convention, the Hong Kong Convention, and the implementation of the IMO net zero framework.
• The industry is looking for clarity, certainty and pragmatic solutions to meet the targets and transition to a more sustainable future.

Guests
Thanos Theocharis is a Senior Manager of Regulatory Affairs for International Registries, Inc. (IRI)/Marshall Islands Registry. He joined IRI’s office in Piraeus, Greece, in June 2007 as a vessel operations manager. He is a member of the delegation representing the Marshall Islands at the IMO.

Panos Zachariadis has been the Technical Director of Atlantic Bulk Carriers Management in Greece since 1997. He is a Fellow member of the American Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers, a member of Technical Committees of several shipping Classification Societies and the Union of Greek Shipowners, Chairman of BIMCO’s Marine Environment Committee, and serves on the Board of Directors of Hellenic Marine Environment Protection Association (HELMEPA), the Hellenic Chamber of Shipping and Marine Technical Managers Association (MARTECMA). He has been a member of the Greek delegation to the IMO since 2004.

KC Wong is a Senior Technical Manager for INTERTANKO covering the China and Hong Kong region. He is also the Secretary to INTERTANKO’s Safety and Technical Committee, representing the tanker industry on safety and technical matters in liaison with national governmental organizations and international organizations, such as the IMO. KC joined INTERTANKO after his secondment from the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) from Sep 2020 to Apr 2022.

Emmanuel Vergetis is the Greece Region Representative for INTERCARGO. He joined the INTERCARGO Secretariat in January 2022 after many years working for a classification society. He is a graduate of National Technical University of Athens and holds a master’s degree of Naval Architecture and Mechanical Engineer.

Stamatis Fradelos is ABS Vice President of Regulatory Affairs. The Regulatory Affairs team interfaces with the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Flag Administrations and the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS), facilitating the application of regulations and maintaining ABS and clients’ awareness on regulatory issues being progressed and developed internationally. Stamatis is also member of IACS Board of Directors, the IACS Council and the IACS Sub-Committee on Quality Policy participating in IACS governance and strategic decisions.