IMO Member States may have delayed a decision on the adoption of the Net-Zero Framework (NZF) by a year, but discussions are still ongoing to develop implementation guidelines that will define the details of the proposed global regulation.Those guidelines will dictate critical aspects, ranging from the calculation and certification of different fuels’ lifecycle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to rewards for zero and near-zero (ZNZ) fuels and energy sources, and the governance of the Net-Zero Fund that would administer the revenues raised by the GHG pricing mechanism.This work is led by an intersessional working group (ISWG-GHG), which convened a week after […]

For much of the past decade, maritime decarbonisation policy has been defined by ambition: targets, trajectories and the long runway to net zero. In 2026, the centre of gravity shifts. The most important question is no longer ‘are the targets tough enough?’ but ‘is the operational framework sufficient to deliver?’.2026 is the year maritime decarbonisation moves from policy architecture to market execution. It is the year the ‘compliance infrastructure’ (the practical rules and processes that make compliance work) becomes the strategic battleground: scope boundaries, certification, reporting platforms, Member States fragmentation, monitoring and verification, documentation, liquidity and how compliance frameworks interact. […]

The International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) decision to delay the introduction of its Net-Zero Framework (NZF) by a year has sent mixed signals across the shipping industry. On the surface, the postponement offers welcome breathing space to address unresolved technical and political questions. Yet beneath that short-term relief lies a deeper risk: the loss of momentum at a time when decarbonisation progress cannot afford to slow.It is important to be clear about what this delay does – and does not – mean. The net-zero ambition itself has not been abandoned, nor has the pressure on shipping to reduce emissions diminished. If […]

The International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) meetings in October 2025 were expected to mark a pioneering moment in international climate governance: the adoption of the IMO’s Net-Zero Framework (NZF). Instead, the session concluded with a decision to adjourn negotiations for one year, following procedural manoeuvres led by Saudi Arabia and backed by a firm rejection from the United States.This diplomatic setback places the European Union (EU), one of the most vocal advocates of the NZF, at a pivotal crossroads. Earlier in November, EU Commissioner Teresa Ribera described climate negotiations as determining whether ‘the EU remains a rulemaker or becomes a rule […]

Demand for alternative fuels in China and across Asia is real and is bringing the alternative fuel transition closer to reality for everyone in the sector. Working in partnerships to develop experience and deepen knowledge, companies across the marine fuels landscape are exploring the many possibilities of a multi-fuel future.China is the world’s largest ship building nation. Singapore the world’s largest single bunker hub. More than half of global shipbuilding is done in China’s shipyards, and Singapore’s terminals supply more than 55 million tonnes of marine fuel each year. In 2023, Asia’s share of seaborne trade stood at 47% of […]