Civil society organisations have called on IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez to clarify comments he made about the transition to alternative marine fuels at the Global Maritime Forum Annual Summit in Shanghai on October 21.
In an open letter dated October 27, the 13 organisations said his comments, which referred to newer engines with reduced methane slip and the consideration of biofuels, could be interpreted as signalling a position on LNG under the IMO Net-Zero Framework (NZF).
The groups said his remarks could be read as signalling a particular position on LNG, adding that "a public remark on one fuel can be read as a signal about the outcome" of ongoing negotiations.
"The Secretariat must remain neutral," the organisations said, stressing that fuel treatment under the NZF should be decided by member states based on independent science.
They argued that LNG and other methane-based fuels "should not be rewarded under the NZF unless their measured lifecycle emissions, including methane slip and upstream leakage, meet the framework's thresholds".
Citing research by the International Council on Clean Transportation, the letter said LNG showed no climate benefit over a 20-year period, regardless of engine technology.
The organisations asked Dominguez to confirm that his remarks were "not intended to presuppose any outcome on specific fuels, including LNG and biofuels".
They also called for equal access to technical briefings and science-based lifecycle assessment guidelines.
Technical negotiations on the framework are due to resume on November 23.
