Arsenio Dominguez is secretary-general of the IMO. Image Credit: IMO

The head of IMO has urged member states to avoid past divisions and make tangible progress on the Net Zero Framework (NZF).

“There is no reason to repeat what happened last October,” Arsenio Dominguez, Secretary-General of IMO, said in the opening remarks at MEPC 84 in London today.

The 84th meeting of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 84) is taking place this week, where member states are expected to continue work on the framework, which failed adoption last October.

Dominguez called on delegates to engage in “constructive and pragmatic exchanges” as negotiations enter a critical phase.

He said recent submissions to the session, together with discussions at last week’s intersessional working group, demonstrate a “genuine commitment” to move the framework forward.

Delegates are now in a better position to understand each other’s views, which he said should help facilitate convergence on mid-term greenhouse gas reduction measures.

Dominguez highlighted progress on the framework’s technical elements, particularly work on greenhouse gas fuel intensity (GFI) calculation guidelines.

He also pointed to advances on fuel certification and life-cycle assessment rules, describing them as providing a “solid basis” for globally harmonised reporting and effective implementation.

On the economic side, he noted continued efforts to define what a “just and equitable transition” should look like in the IMO context, an issue that has proved contentious in previous rounds of talks.

He urged delegates to “move forward where we agree” while continuing to develop areas where further work is needed, stressing the importance of delivering a workable global framework.