’There is consensus to move forward. There are disagreements in some areas,’ IMO secretary general Arsenio Dominguez says in lead up to adoption meeting for IMO Net Zero Framework (NZF)
At an event hosted by classification society DNV during London’s International Shipping Week convention in September 2025, IMO secretary general Arsenio Dominguez told DNV Maritime chief executive Knut Ørbeck-Nilssen that he remains steadfastly optimistic that IMO member states will adopt the NZF climate framework at the extraordinary MEPC session in October.
In his questions to Secretary General Dominguez, Mr Ørbeck-Nilssen referenced what he called a “lack of consensus and a necessity for voting to get the Net-Zero Framework across the finish line” and “political division among member states”.
“There is consensus to move forward. There are disagreements in some areas,” Secretary General Dominguez said in response, noting that finding consensus through multilateral negotiations or a way forward through parliamentary procedures such as voting “is what we do at IMO”.
Background: during the course of London International Shipping Week, leaders of the Norway-headquartered class society DNV and US-based class society ABS both spoke publicly about frustrations with the IMO climate framework, as currently written, with particular focus on the role of LNG fuel in the regulations:
Mr Dominguez then went on to address, in general terms, the possibility for IMO’s climate framework to be approved by way of a vote.
“How we do it? We have several mechanisms, and voting is one of those that exist in international law, in the law of the treaties,” he said, noting that “in several countries, we actually vote, as well, to elect officials, so I don’t know why we get to the point where having a vote is suddenly a negative thing.”
One positive about IMO going to a vote on its climate framework, according to Mr Dominguez’s telling, is that the process gives further space for the various countries involved “to express their opinion, to raise their concerns”.
“We have had votes in the past at IMO,” he said. “I respect that if member states want to have very clear, specific decisions on certain topics, and that means using some of the articles of the conventions, they have the right to do so. I’m still confident that we will continue to move forward [in] October.”
