IMO approves net-zero regulations for global shipping

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🗞️ Driving the news: The International Maritime Organization advances its first global net-zero emissions framework for shipping
• Draft rules will enforce fuel standards and price greenhouse gas emissions across international shipping
• The framework sets a mandatory net-zero target around 2050 for large ocean-going vessels

🔭 The context: The new framework aligns with the IMO’s 2023 GHG Strategy and MARPOL Annex VI
• It introduces a fuel standard and economic measure to reduce shipping’s carbon footprint
• Ships must meet annual greenhouse gas fuel intensity thresholds using a well-to-wake approach

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: International shipping emits roughly 3% of global CO₂ and needs urgent reform
• This is the first global sector-wide pricing system for carbon emissions
• The regulation incentivises zero-emission fuels and technologies to support equitable green transitions

⏭️ What's next: Final adoption is expected in October 2025, with enforcement starting in early 2027
• A Net-Zero Fund will redistribute carbon revenues to reward low-emission ships and aid vulnerable states
• New compliance rules allow trading, banking, or offsetting emissions through remedial units

💬 One quote: “This represents a significant step in our efforts to modernise shipping and combat climate change.” — Arsenio Dominguez, IMO Secretary-General

📈 One stat: Ships over 5,000 gross tonnage produce 85% of CO₂ emissions from global shipping

See here detailed sustainability performance of shipping companies like AP Moller, CMA CGM or Hapag-Lloyd

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