IMO SG to Green Fuel Producers: Don't Give Up on Us

IMO Secretary General Arsenio Dominguez. Image Credit: IMO

The IMO is calling on producers of green fuels not to give up on the shipping industry as a potential demand source despite last year's delay in setting in place global decarbonisation regulations.

In October the UN body's Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) put off a vote on its Net Zero Framework for a year after significant opposition to it emerged, throwing into doubt shipping's timeline for when it will be charged for its greenhouse gas emissions.

Secretary General Arsenio Dominguez spoke to reporters at the IMO's London headquarters last week to give an update on the organisation's thinking on the issue, among other topics.

Since October's delay there have been reports of some green fuel producers putting production investments on hold, or mulling whether to pivot towards other markets like sustainable aviation fuel instead of targeting the shipping industry. 

"It's always difficult to attract investment into shipping," Domiguez told Ship & Bunker at the event on Friday.

"We have already started, and we are on our pathway to decarbonisation.

"We face some obstacles on the way; we need to stay positive and address those obstacles that happen in normal daily life, and we don't just stop, or collapse or abandon.

"The industry continues to drive into how we're going to be more sustainable, more efficient, and that is going to allow us as well to compete with other modes of transport."

No New Timeline for NZF Vote

Dominguez declined to provide an updated timeline on when a new vote on the NZF might be scheduled.

The MEPC is due to hold its next meeting in April, and he said his focus for now was on meeting as many delegations as possible before then to gauge their thinking. 

"I wouldn't focus on whether this is going to be an urgency or not," Dominguez said.

"We have a pathway, because we have recognised the need for us to address the negative impact of shipping on the environment.

"I'm going to want this organisation to continue to make the necessary progress in order to actually meet the goal that we set for by or around 2050. 

"How we get there is where we have to be understanding, and probably be creative as well."

Dominguez also said he had not had any discussions about the US potentially withdrawing its membership from the IMO. The US was a significant source of opposition to the NZF at the last MEPC meeting, but its delegation remains heavily engaged at the IMO and was recently reelected to the IMO Council for its 2026-27 term.