In the UK, the International Maritime Organization approved draft global regulations at MEPC 83 that will require ocean-going ships over 5,000 gross tons—responsible for 85% of shipping’s CO₂—to meet a new fuel standard and pay emissions pricing, with formal adoption slated for October 2025 and enforcement beginning in 2027.
The framework, to be inserted as Chapter 5 of MARPOL Annex VI, mandates reductions in greenhouse gas fuel intensity using a well-to-wake calculation and introduces financial obligations for vessels exceeding emissions thresholds. Ships meeting or surpassing targets can earn “surplus units,” while higher emitters must balance their output through unit transfers or contributions to the new IMO Net-Zero Fund.
That fund will support “innovation, research, infrastructure and just transition initiatives in developing countries,” and help “mitigate negative impacts on vulnerable States,” according to IMO documents.
IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez said, “The approval of draft amendments to MARPOL Annex VI mandating the IMO net-zero framework represents another significant step in our collective efforts to combat climate change.”
Final adoption is expected during an extraordinary session later this year, with implementation guidelines due in 2026. The regulations apply to 97% of the world’s merchant fleet by tonnage.
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Category: Sustainable Marine Fuels
