The International Maritime Organization (IMO) reported on Tuesday that it has made progress in negotiations for the adoption of a set of binding global rules on the IMO Net Zero Emissions Framework , in order to achieve the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction targets set out in the IMO 2023 Strategy on Reducing GHG Emissions from Ships.

By the end of the 82nd session of the IMO Marine Environment Protection Committee, held from 30 September to 4 October 2024, Member States had identified new areas of convergence in their positions . They developed a draft legal text that will serve as a basis for ongoing discussions on the proposed “medium-term measures” for GHG reduction, scheduled for adoption in 2025.

These proposed “medium-term GHG reduction measures” (which build on the “short-term measures” adopted earlier) include a target-based maritime fuel standard that will phase in mandatory use of lower GHG-intensive fuels and a global maritime GHG pricing mechanism. They aim to drive the transition of the international shipping sector to achieve net-zero GHG emissions by or around 2050 at the latest, i.e. close to 2050.

Setting up the IMO Net Zero Emissions Framework

The draft legal text developed by MEPC 82 integrates input and proposals from Member States and international organizations on possible amendments to the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL Annex VI). If adopted, these amendments will incorporate the proposed new measures into international law.

The session also discussed the possible establishment of an IMO GHG intensity registry and an IMO funding fund/mechanism to facilitate the implementation of the technical and economic elements of GHG reduction measures.

Closing the session, IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez praised the constructive atmosphere of this week’s discussions.

“I appreciate the continued commitment that they have shown. It has allowed us to identify new areas of convergence in defining the legal framework of the “IMO Net Zero Emissions Framework”, which will effectively guide the next round of dialogue. I am confident that an agreement will be reached at the next session,” he said.

The MEPC will hold its next session (MEPC 83) from 7 to 11 April 2025, at which the amendments are expected to be approved by Members, prior to their formal adoption in October 2025.

Comment and follow us on X:@GrupoT21

El cargo IMO Advances in Creating a Net Zero Emissions Framework for Maritime Transport apareció primero en T21.

Maritime transport is the primary means by which more than 80% of globally traded goods are transported. However, ship voyages, which are directly linked to multiple supply chains, are estimated to account for between 2% and 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions , according to a United Nations (UN) report , but this figure could rise to 17% by 2050 if stricter controls are not implemented, given that it is estimated that by that year the volume of trade could more than double.

Clearly, global alarms have been sounded. For this reason, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) , the United Nations body that regulates maritime transport, has set on its agenda a 20% reduction in maritime transport emissions by 2030, a 70% reduction by 2040 , taking 2008 as a reference, as well as achieving net zero emissions by 2050. In this sense, a large part of this effort will require shipping companies to modernize their fleets and adopt low-carbon solutions.

In this industry, it is known that ships are long-lived, that is, they can reach an average life of 25 years, “so some are too old to be refurbished and at the same time too new to be withdrawn from the market,” according to CEPSA , a global company focused on sustainable mobility and energy.

The same UN study states that the transition of the maritime sector could reach costs of between eight and twenty billion dollars (mdd) annually to decarbonize ships by 2050. Regarding the development of infrastructure, investments could even reach 90 billion dollars annually.

The World Economic Forum (WEF) has mentioned in its climate change analysis that the shipping sector is taking steps to reduce emissions. For example, shippers have placed orders for more than 200 dual-methanol vessels (a viable fuel for a transition to decarbonisation). In addition, trials are also underway with engines capable of sailing on other so-called green fuels, such as ammonia.

However, the WEF notes that methanol and other zero-emission fuels are already in short supply, and the current outlook for supply projects is worrying: more than 95% of maritime fuel project plans have not yet reached the final investment decision (FID), necessary for construction to begin.

Specialists have agreed that the decarbonization initiatives of this industry must involve…

Comment and follow us on X: @EnriqueDuRio / @GrupoT21

El cargo The “Fuel of the Future” Made in Oaxaca apareció primero en T21.

Shipping company Maersk said that further efforts to drive maritime transport towards zero emissions require government support.

Following the milestone of the Alette Maersk, which was the first container ship powered by low-carbon methanol fuel to cross the Pacific Ocean, a new problem arose: when the ship docked in the Port of Los Angeles from China, there was nowhere in the United States to buy more green fuel , forcing it to rely heavily on petroleum-based marine fuel for the return trip.

Against this backdrop, AP Moller-Maersk officials said the industry, which accounts for about 3% of global greenhouse gases, needs more and cheaper green fuel if it is to decarbonise at the pace scientists and world governments say is necessary to combat climate change.

“We are short on time,” said Maersk CEO Vincent Clerc.

In detail, Maersk aims to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040 and has become a leader in the energy transition of its sector with five green methanol ships in the water and another 20 on order.

Still, that represents just a fraction of its 700 owned and chartered ships . The new ships are also dual-fuel, meaning they are equipped to run on fossil fuels when needed, such as when green methanol is too expensive or unavailable.

Fuel now costs two to three times more than fossil fuels, Maersk officials said, and global production is currently minimal.

Maersk also plans to replace up to 60 additional ships with dual-fuel vessels that run on renewable fuels, including liquefied biomethane. That low-emission fuel from renewable sources is controversial because it is chemically identical to fossil methane, so any leaks release a potent greenhouse gas.

Clerc said Maersk has asked the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden to use the Inflation Reduction Act to incentivize green marine fuel , as it has done for the trucking and aviation sectors.

Maersk, together with CMA CGM, Hapag-Lloyd and MSC, have proposed a regulatory framework to the International Maritime Organization that includes a plan to impose a “green breakeven fee” on shipping lines that gain a competitive advantage by sticking to lower-cost fossil fuels.

“We need regulations and laws that level the playing field,” said Saba Takidar, senior business partner for sustainability at Maersk.

With information from  Portal Portuario , a media outlet specializing in ports and maritime transport in Chile.

El cargo Propelling Maritime Transport Towards Zero Emissions Requires Government Support: Maersk apareció primero en T21.