The 79th session of the IMO Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 79) was held from 12 to 16 December, 2022. The key subjects are the following:
Air pollution prevention
Licensing schemes for bunker fuel suppliers, NOx emissions of biofuels and synthetic fuels, exhaust gas cleaning systems (EGCS), Black Carbon.
Ballast water management
Various proposals for amendments and unified interpretations, consideration of various operational matters affecting implementation of the BWM Convention, approval of ballast water management systems.
Climate change tackling & cutting GHG emissions from ships
-Revision of initial IMO GHG Strategy
-Development of mid-term measures including technical and economic measures
-Adoption of the Revised Procedure of assessing possible impact on States of candidate measures 
-Development of Lifecycle GHG intensity of marine fuels guidelines
-Proposals related to onboard CO2 capture
-Revision of the IMO Fuel Consumption Monitoring Data Collection System (IMO DCS)
Energy efficiency of ships
Report of fuel oil consumption data submitted to the IMO Ship Fuel Oil Consumption Database in GISIS (reporting year: 2021), proposed amendment to the 2018 Guidelines on the method of calculation of the Attained Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) and to the 2014 Guidelines on EEDI survey and certification, possible introduction of EEDI phase 4.
MARPOL amendments are adopted
-Designation of the Mediterranean Sea, as a whole, as an Emission Control Area for Sulphur Oxides and particulate matter 
-Mandatory garbage record books for smaller ships
-Protecting Arctic waters – regional arrangements for port reception facilities
-Information on the short-term GHG reduction measure to be submitted to the IMO Ship Fuel Oil Consumption Database
-Fuel flashpoint in Bunker delivery note
Particularly Sensitive Sea Areas
-Proposal for designation of a particular sensitive sea area in the North-Western Mediterranean Sea to protect cetaceans from international shipping agreed in principle
The Maritime Safety Committee considered a number of various proposals for new outputs at the session and other approvals/adoptions of other matters, guidance, outputs, guidelines, resolutions, circulars, etc.
Source: www.imo.org
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