The International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH) has urged International Maritime Organization (IMO) Member States to adopt the Net Zero Framework (NZF) at the extraordinary session of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC ES.2) in mid-October.
The call comes as Member States prepare to vote in the week of 13 October on proposed amendments to the MARPOL Convention.
Speaking at a decarbonisation event organised by Accelleron during London International Shipping Week, IAPH Managing Director Patrick Verhoeven warned that failure to adopt the NZF could lead to “absolute investment uncertainty” for shipping companies and ports. He said such an outcome would significantly delay maritime decarbonisation, make IMO’s net zero targets impossible to reach, and result in “a complex regulatory patchwork” caused by overlapping national and regional measures, which he described as a “disaster for the maritime energy transition.”
IAPH has consistently supported a global fuel standard for shipping combined with an economic measure involving a pricing mechanism and credit trading scheme to reduce emissions and fund the transition to low and zero carbon fuels. According to Verhoeven, adoption of the NZF would provide industry with the signal needed for fuel uptake and generate resources to finance port infrastructure in developing countries.
In 2023, IAPH presented to IMO the results of a study by Maritime & Transport Business Solutions (MTBS) estimating investment needs for port climate adaptation and decarbonisation in developing countries at between USD 55 billion and USD 83 billion.
The report indicated that the IMO Net Zero Fund could help finance such measures and ensure that developing nations are not marginalised in the energy transition. Verhoeven emphasised that rejecting the NZF would most likely increase the proliferation of regional measures, such as the European Union’s Emissions Trading Scheme, making compliance more difficult for shipowners and operators.
International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH) is a non-governmental organisation founded in 1955 and headquartered in Tokyo, IAPH represents over 200 port authorities and 173 port-related businesses worldwide. It works on issues such as decarbonisation, digitalisation, and risk management in the port and maritime sector.
