The report assesses industry progress towards having 5-10% of marine fuel come from scalable zero-emission fuels by 2030. File Image / Pixabay

Shipping is at greater risk of missing its 2030 zero-emission fuel target following a year of regulatory uncertainty, according to a new report.

The 2026 edition of Climate Action in Shipping: Progress Towards Shipping’s 2030 Breakthrough report published by the Global Maritime Forum and UCL Energy Institute under the Getting to Zero Coalition on Tuesday, tracks the industry’s progress towards its 2030 climate targets.

It assesses progress towards having 5-10% of international shipping’ marine fuel come from scalable zero-emission fuels (SZEF) by 2030, a level considered important for putting the sector on a pathway towards net-zero emissions by 2050.

The report said the failure to adopt the IMO Net-Zero Framework last year was the “single most transition-regressive event” recorded during its five-year history.

Progress has nevertheless continued in some areas.

The number of ports offering methanol bunkering rose 53% year-on-year from 19 to 29, while methanol-capable in-service tonnage tripled.

The past year also saw the first ammonia bunkering operation and sea trials, while shipping finance recorded its strongest improvement in climate alignment on record.

However, the share of SZEF-capable vessels in the orderbook fell from 9.5% to 5.7%, while sustainable debt issuance declined from $3.4 billion in 2024 to $3 billion in 2025.

The report called for the IMO to adopt the Net-Zero Framework at its December session to restore regulatory certainty.

The report can be viewed from here.