The International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 84) met in London last week, marking the first time the committee has convened since Member States delayed a vote on the adoption of the Net-Zero Framework (NZF) last October.
MEPC 84 thus marked an important moment to assess the willingness to continue working on the NZF, which as recently as one year ago was agreed to in principle by an overwhelming majority of Member States.
Although the meeting concluded without a formal agreement on the framework or its implementation guidelines, the discussions revealed continued commitment to delivering on the IMO’s 2023 Greenhouse Gas Strategy and featured constructive engagement on mid-term policy measures.
“It was encouraging to see the negotiations continue last week in London, and as these talks evolve, it will be critical to ensure that any emerging framework retains the elements needed to build a viable business case and support lower-income countries in their transition,” the Global Maritime Forum’s director of decarbonisation, Jesse Fahnestock, said. “Clear and predictable policy signals remain essential to unlocking investment in zero- and near-zero emission fuels.”
A majority of countries expressed support for the NZF, signalling that the framework remains a strong foundation for further negotiations. Proponents highlighted the ability to provide a stable, predictable investment environment, ensure rewards for zero- and near-zero-emission fuels, and generate the funds needed to support a just and equitable transition that leaves no country behind. If these arguments seem familiar, it is because they reflect what the maritime industry has been calling for years.
At the same time, a smaller but vocal group of countries continues to oppose the NZF in its current form. No alternate proposal received broad support, and a recent Global Maritime Forum analysis found that the alternative scenarios currently on the table would not do enough to support the long-term uptake of the scalable zero-emission fuels and that only the NZF in its current form can provide the credible, stable demand signal and revenue stream needed to support early and mass-market uptake of scalable zero-emission fuels.
NZF adoption will next be formally discussed at MEPC 85, scheduled for 30 November to 3 December.