INTERTANKO to continue its focus on practical pathways in the absence of an agreement at IMO

After an intense week ending in a vote, the IMO’s Net Zero Framework was adjourned for the period of one year at the extraordinary session of the IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) on Friday. 

Commenting on the outcome, INTERTANKO Managing Director Tim Wilkins (pictured) said: “This gives us time to improve the single regulatory maritime framework to cut maritime emissions. Let’s use this opportunity to work collaboratively to tackle the ambiguities and concerns of the NZF raised by INTERTANKO Members.”

It is unclear what the path forward is since the positions are more polarised. The intersessional workgroup meeting at IMO next week will take place and INTERTANKO will continue to voice the concerns of its Members, demanding reassurance that all transitional pathways remain in place for the long-term shift to zero- and near-zero fuels, allowing shipowners and operators to focus on operational feasibility.

INTERTANKO will play an active role in the strategic discussions at hand on the Net Zero Fund and its methods to collect, govern and distribute resources, including incentivising shipowners and operators to invest in efficiency improvements and alternative fuels. We reiterate that INTERTANKO will address the critical technical challenges in an improved proposal:

-  The GHG reduction trajectories and thresholds

-  A globally harmonised and approved Sustainable Fuels Certification Scheme (SFCS)

-  The establishment of scientifically sound default emission factors

-  The Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology to calculate GHG Fuel Intensity (GFI)

-  The recognition of non-fuel energy sources and related methodology for GFI credit.

To achieve the zero-GHG future the full spectrum of transitional pathways must be available, ranging from energy saving devices such as wind propulsion, to alternative fuels such as LNG and sustainable biofuel, and net-zero technologies such as shore power and carbon capture.

Commenting on the outcome, Emma Scheiris, Deputy Director – Environment of INTERTANKO, said: “The maritime industry is ready to build on the achieved efficiency gains and accelerate toward a zero-GHG future. Cooperation is key to forming an improved robust, pragmatic and realistic version of the NZF.”

Wilkins asserted that INTERTANKO will continue with its efforts to provide practical and real-world input into the process. 

“There’s some misconception that the industry has been sitting around doing nothing, waiting for this decision,” he said, “when in fact, evidence shows the industry has dramatically cut its emissions over the last 10-15 years, and will continue to do so, as it simply makes good business and ethical sense.”