‘Only global rules will decarbonise a global industry,’ say international coalitions, as Asian and European nation’s shipowners’ groups point to risk of ‘unwieldy patchwork’ of regional regulations in absence of International Maritime Organization (IMO) rules
World governments have ‘a unique and historic opportunity’ to adopt the first mandatory global framework of rules that set a price on emissions across an entire industry, according to dual coalitions of national shipowning bodies and international associations.
International asociations claiming to represent the ‘global shipping industry’ said in an open letter that the maritime transport sector “is ready to play its important part in delivering a sustainable future” by supporting the adoption of the IMO’s Net Zero Framework (NZF).
“The global industry remains fully committed to working collaboratively with IMO member states to implement successfully this carefully balanced regulatory package for achieving net zero GHG emissions by or close to 2050, with necessary incentives to de-risk investment in new green marine fuels to accelerate the total decarbonisation of international shipping and to implement a just transition for the maritime workforce,” the letter said.
The coalition of groups behind the letter includes the US-headquartered liner shipping lobby the World Shipping Council (WSC), the European Shipowners Association (ECSA), the International Association of Ports and Harbours (IAPH), the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), the International Bunker Industry Association (IBIA) and the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), a shipowners’ association which, alone, claims to represent 80% of the global merchant shipping fleet.
The supportive tone for the IMO regulations in the most recent open letter stands in contrast to an earlier open letter from some large tanker and bulker shipowners who said that the regulations are not fit for purpose as they are currently written. Tanker and bulker shipowners including Saudi Arabia’s Bahri, privately owned John Fredriksen-linked Frontline, UK-based Stolt Tankers as well as Evangelos Marinakis’ Capital Group and a host of Greece-based companies have called for ‘fundamental amendments’ to global regulations on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
There are similar divisions among some of the 176 member states who will decide the outcome of the IMO climate framework during the upcoming extraordinary session of IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Agency that runs between 14-17 October 2025. The member states are set to convene with the aim to finalise the text of an already-approved framework of rules that would govern the technical and economic elements of shipping’s reduction of its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to a net of zero over the next 25 years.
The US delegation to the IMO walked out of the MEPC 83 proceedings in April 2025 that saw the NZF framework approved, apparently taking cues from US President Donald Trump and his administration’s later threats to IMO member states. The US administration threatened retaliation against member states which do not support a US attempt to ‘defeat’ the IMO climate framework, and President Trump has routinely exempted the US from discussions on international climate pacts, including twice withdrawing the US from a foundational United Nations climate change framework plan, the Paris Agreement.
On the other side of the debate, national shipowners’ groups from major shipping countries including Singapore, Japan, Norway, the UK, The Netherlands, Denmark and Belgium penned their own letter in support of the adoption of the IMO net-zero carbon framework.
The letter largely echoed the open letter from international shipping industry groups, citing the “multiple years of negotiations” that have gone into the IMO climate framework and its potential to “propel sustainable shipping at a truly global scale”.
“Anything else would be a major setback for the green transition, and risk leaving the industry with an unwieldy patchwork of regional climate regulations,” the letter said.
“Final approval at the IMO meeting requires a qualified majority of member states that are signatories to the MARPOL Convention. It is important that such a majority comes together to shepherd the agreement across the finish line. Our industry, which by its very nature is global, absolutely needs a global regulation – also to address climate change.”
