IMO Net-Zero Framework Gains Broad Support Amidst Calls for Prompt Adoption

As a meeting on the climate impacts of global shipping concluded at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) today, the Clean Shipping Coalition (CSC) reported broad support among member states for the Net-Zero Framework (NZF). The NZF, described as the UN shipping body’s long-negotiated compromise climate agreement, is facing attempts by a minority of states to introduce ‘alternative proposals’.

Lukas Leppert, President of the Clean Shipping Coalition, stated that the Net-Zero Framework remains intact despite pressure from detractors and should be adopted without further delay. He characterised the alternative proposals as neither necessary nor useful, noting that the IMO has already committed to a strategy, approved a regulatory framework, and scheduled its adoption for later in the year.

Leppert acknowledged that the NZF is not entirely aligned with the ambition levels in the IMO 2023 GHG Strategy. However, he views it as a long-negotiated compromise supported by a broad majority, representing an important step forward that can be built upon.

Framework Details and Support

The shipping sector contributes 2-3% of global greenhouse gas emissions, amounting to 1 billion tonnes annually. The IMO’s GHG Strategy includes a long-term goal of decarbonisation by 2050, interim targets of a 30% reduction in absolute emissions by 2030 and 80% by 2040, and a commitment to a just and equitable transition.

Approved during MEPC 83 in 2025, the NZF includes a “global fuel standard” (GFS), which mandates ship operators to gradually decrease greenhouse gas emissions from shipping fuels or face penalties. The framework also introduces a mechanism to price a portion of ships' greenhouse gas emissions, aiming to provide a financial incentive for emissions reduction in line with the GFS.

Delaine McCullough, Shipping Program Director at Ocean Conservancy, noted that the curve of increasingly stringent required annual reductions in the greenhouse gas intensity of shipping fuels is a critical component of the NZF, though it is already considered insufficient to reach the reduction goals set in the 2023 GHG Strategy. McCullough emphasised the need for member states to avoid weakening this component. Sönke Diesener, Senior Policy Officer Maritime Transport at NABU, added that the maritime sector requires a clear regulatory signal for the transition to ensure a global level playing field and planning security for sustainable solutions.

Concerns and Calls for Implementation

Lukas Leppert urged the IMO and its member states to maintain their ambition and the achieved compromise, calling for the adoption of the Net-Zero Framework ‘as is’ at MEPC 85 in December. He stated that outstanding concerns are not severe enough to justify reworking the framework, and that the NZF includes all necessary elements for maritime decarbonisation in line with the 2023 IMO GHG Strategy.

Andrew Dumbrille, Co-Director of Equal Routes, highlighted that some submissions at the meeting favoured methane-based fuels like LNG and biomethane, which could lock in methane for years and hinder the adoption of zero-emission fuels. Dumbrille stressed that IMO Life Cycle GHG Assessment guidelines must account for biodiversity and human rights impacts and avoid “false accounting methods”.

Anaïs Rios, Senior Shipping Policy Officer at Seas At Risk, pointed out that a just transition cannot occur without a central fund, especially for countries most exposed to climate change impacts but with limited financial capacity. Alex Springer, Interim Shipping Director at T&E, added that financial rewards are necessary to accelerate the uptake of zero- and near-zero emission fuels and technologies, particularly if aspects like the GFI trajectory are weakened.