MEPC 80: Pats on the back all round...?

© Artur Szczybylo

As could be expected from last week’s MEPC failure to honour the Paris accord, we begin this week with a great many stories on how the IMO fell short.

At the behest of China, Saudi Arabia (whose deserts will shortly be uninhabitable) and Brazil (whose rainforests are shrinking swiftly), targets were neutered to the point of becoming mere “indicative checkpoints” – whatever that means.

There was an agreement to cut 20% of GHG emissions by 2030, and 70% by 2040. But only ...