A cargo ship after off loading goods at Mombasa Port on March 3,2025 [Omondi Onyango, Standard] The bustling Port of Mombasa hums with activity as cargo ships laden with goods from across the globe dock and depart. Yet, beneath the economic promise of this trade lies a silent threat the choking emissions from these vessels. As the International Maritime Organization (IMO) meets in London to debate how to cut greenhouse gases from shipping, a surprising solution has gained traction: wind power. “The ongoing IMO discussions are key in shipping’s decarbonization transition, and wind must be central to the solution,” said…
Author: By Mactilda Mbenywe
A section of containers at the Port of Mombasa. March 3,2025 [Omondi Onyango,Standard] The global shipping industry is about to undergo its most dramatic transformation in decades. In a landmark decision that will reshape maritime trade, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has approved a sweeping carbon pricing system that will penalize ships for greenhouse gas emissions starting in 2028. This means that a landmark agreement on carbon pricing for ships is now on track for global adoption. The new rules, finalized this week during tense negotiations at the IMO’s 83rd session of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) in London,…
Plastic bottles on the Lamu seafront. [File, Standard] The war on plastic pellets has received a major boost at the ongoing International Maritime summit in London. This is after the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Sub-Committee on Pollution Prevention and Response agreed on a draft 2025 Action Plan to address marine plastic litter from ships. The plan now awaits approval at the end of this week by the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 83). Plastic pellet pollution is not just a problem for rich nations. It’s already at our doorstep. In Mombasa and other Kenyan coastal towns, local fishers have reported…
Acargo ship after off loading goods at Mombasa Port. March 3,2025. [Omondi Onyango, Standard] You’re likely reading this article on a device assembled in Asia, using materials shipped from anywhere in the world. After it was made, your phone or laptop most likely travelled where you are on a massive ship powered by one of the world’s largest diesel engines. These ships, operating day and night, are part of a global network responsible for moving 90 percent of the world’s trade. However, this maritime activity comes at a hefty environmental cost. International shipping burns over 200 million tonnes of fossil…
World largest floating Library, Logos Hope before docking at Mombasa Port. The ship from Seychelles arrived in Mombasa with 350 tourists on board. August 22, 2023.[File, Standard] Kenya has declared its support for adopting a shipping levy at the International Maritime Organisation (IMO). In a joint open letter released during the International Maritime Organization’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 83), Kenya’s Special Climate Envoy Ali Mohamed joined over 50 nations calling for a universal greenhouse gas (GHG) levy on shipping. The signatories represent more than two-thirds of the global fleet. In the letter they stated that global emissions levy is…