IMERS International Maritime Emission Reduction Scheme

MERS is a non-profit organization and initiative established to develop and accelerate the implementation of a technically sound and politically acceptable global scheme to (1) raise financing to tackle climate change and (2) reduce shipping emissions, whilst recognizing the UNFCCC principle of common but differentiated responsibilities.
You may read IMERS executive summary .
The aim is to incorporate the scheme, preferably implemented as a differentiated levy on marine haulage/shipping fuel, into the post-2012 climate agreement. IMERS will achieve this by: (1) undertaking policy analysis and facilitation of submissions to the multilateral negotiations on the proposed scheme, (2) developing a scheme demonstrator to illustrate the viability and operation of the proposed scheme, (3) mobilizing stakeholders, principally governments of both developed and developing countries, around the single supra-national scheme.

International Maritime Emission Reduction Scheme

This is proposed as a global, supra-national scheme with an ambitious goal to halve shipping emissions over long-term.
IMERS in 30 words: A technically sound and politically acceptable levy on fuel for international shipping, which differentiates responsibilities between developed and developing countries. Applied worldwide, collected centrally, bypassing national coffers, raising $6bn+ annually for climate action.

In other words, the proposal is to create a lowest cost scheme to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from international maritime transport through a hybrid market mechanism combining:

Near-term emission mitigation, including purchasing of emission credits

Technology fund focused on bringing forward technology transformations, such as hydrogen transport

Funding for adaptation to climate change in developing countries.

The scheme is based on introducing a low differentiated charge (levy) depending on the GHG emissions above a predetermined emission goal or cap (according to the polluter pays principle). The monies raised will be used to achieve the near- and longer-term mitigation and adaptation goals.
The differentiated approach to climate change for developing countries is achieved at two points:

• At the point of collection by differentiated charges as per climate change regime (see Global but Differentiated Policy)
  
• At the point of distribution by providing significant contributory funding to adaptation to climate change in developing countries ($2bn - $4bn annually, in relation to the emission goal), and by financing for shipping technology transfer, and transformation ($1bn - $2bn annually).
  

IMERS executive summary and short credentials (to be updated) are provided.
A concise 4-page description of the scheme is available as:
Tackling climate change through a differentiated levy on marine haulage/shipping fuels .