IMO: Clean Shipping Coalition Supports Adoption of Net-Zero Framework

Following the conclusion of the meeting on the climate impact of global shipping at the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the Clean Shipping Coalition celebrated the broad support from member states for the Net-Zero Framework (NZF), the climate agreement on long-negotiated commitment by the UN body on shipping. Likewise, it criticized attempts by a minority of countries to undermine it with "alternative proposals" and requested its adoption at the Marine Environment Protection Committee meeting in December.

"The Net-Zero Framework remains intact, despite pressure from a minority of detractors seeking to weaken the climate action of the shipping sector, and must be adopted without further delay. Alternative proposals to the NZF are neither necessary nor useful; the IMO has already committed to a strategy, approved a regulatory framework that allows its implementation, and scheduled its adoption for the end of the year," stated Lukas Leppert, President of the Clean Shipping Coalition.

"While not fully aligned with the ambition levels of the IMO's 2023 Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Strategy, the NZF is a long-negotiated compromise that brings together multiple interests and positions and has the support of a broad majority. We believe the NZF is an important step forward upon which further progress can be built in the future. Many of the new proposals seem aimed at dismantling this existing compromise, not to find a better agreement, but to appease a minority by reducing ambition," Leppert added.

"None of the outstanding concerns are serious enough to warrant revising the framework. The NZF, in its current form, includes all essential elements for the decarbonization of the maritime sector, in accordance with the IMO's 2023 GHG Strategy, in a fair and equitable manner. Outstanding issues can and should be addressed exclusively within the implementation guidelines. To meet the GHG Strategy's objectives and protect our global climate, we urge the IMO and all its Member States to remain true to their ambition and the compromise reached and, instead of reopening it, adopt the Net-Zero Framework 'as is' at the 85th MEPC meeting in December," Leppert added.

The shipping sector accounts for between 2% and 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions, emitting 1 billion tons of GHGs into the atmosphere each year, a figure comparable to Japan, the fifth-largest emitter in the world.

The IMO is committed to achieving the objective of its GHG Strategy, including its long-term decarbonization goal for 2050, its interim targets of a 30% reduction in absolute emissions by 2030 and 80% by 2040, and its commitment to a just and equitable transition.

Approved during MEPC 83 in 2025, the NZF includes a "global fuel standard" (GFS), which requires ship operators to gradually reduce the amount of greenhouse gases emitted by marine fuels, or otherwise pay penalties. The framework also introduces a mechanism that prices a portion of the greenhouse gases emitted by ships, providing the sector with a clear financial incentive to reduce emissions in line with the global fuel standard.

"The increasingly stringent annual reduction curve required in the greenhouse gas intensity of marine fuels is a critical component of the NZF and is already insufficient to meet the reduction targets set in the 2023 GHG Strategy," explained Delaine McCullough, Shipping Program Director at Ocean Conservancy.

"Less ambitious short-term targets will favor short-term solutions, rather than establishing the clear market signal needed to drive investments in zero and near-zero emission fuels and technologies. Therefore, Member States must stand firm and not weaken this fundamental component of the Net-Zero Framework (NZF)," McCullough added.

"The maritime sector requires a clear regulatory signal for the transition, allowing for equitable global competition and ensuring planning certainty for the implementation of sustainable solutions," stated Sönke Diesener, Senior Shipping Policy Officer at NABU.

"The industry has expressed its support for the IMO's Net-Zero Framework in the past and must continue to do so. The NZF is designed to adapt to different levels of technical maturity and fuel availability, which allows for reliable investment signals for the industry," Diesener added.

"Proposals were presented at this week's meeting that favor methane-based fuels, such as LNG and biomethane, which could perpetuate methane, a potent super-pollutant, for many years and prevent the adoption of truly zero-emission fuels and a decarbonization pathway consistent with the IMO's ambitions," declared Andrew Dumbrille, co-director of Equal Routes.

"The IMO's guidelines for assessing the life cycle of greenhouse gas emissions must consider biodiversity and human rights impacts, and avoid misleading accounting methods that would reward fuels for reductions that were never achieved," Dumbrille complemented.

"A just transition cannot happen in isolation. Many of the countries most exposed to the impacts of climate change are those with the least financial capacity to bear the costs of the transition. Without a central fund, the IMO has no credible way to ensure they are not left behind," determined Anaïs Rios, Senior Maritime Policy Officer at Seas At Risk.

"Member states agreed in 2023 that the shipping transition must be just and equitable. Reopening the question of whether funding is needed to carry out the transition risks unraveling the commitment. Countries should not waste valuable negotiation time by reopening issues that have already been answered. The task now is to make the transition work for everyone," Rios also said.

"Financial incentives are also required to accelerate the adoption of zero or near-zero emission fuels and technologies. This becomes even more urgent if aspects such as the trajectory of the Global Maritime Fund (GFI) are weakened. A system of direct contributions would be a poor substitute for a well-organized and transparent fund, leaving resources out of reach for the most vulnerable countries and offering no guarantee to those who take the initiative," declared Alex Springer, Interim Shipping Director at T&E.