Only days after the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Member States voted to postpone a decision on the Net-Zero Framework (NZF) by 12 months, more than 200 industry leaders, experts, and influential decision-makers met in Antwerp at the Global Maritime Forum Annual Summit 2025 to discuss the path forward for the sector.
“This year’s Annual Summit has provided a crucial opportunity for leaders from across the globe and maritime value chain to come together address some of the sector’s most pressing issues, including what needs to happen over the next year to set the stage for the adoption of the NZF,” said Global Maritime Forum CEO Johannah Christensen. “One of the overwhelming messages I’ve heard from participants over the last two days is how hopeful and energised they feel after the Summit, particularly coming off the back of such a disappointing outcome last week. The mood has certainly shifted.”
Throughout the Summit, IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez also encouraged assembled industry leaders to think of the NZF delay as a pause of the adoption itself, but certainly not a pause on the work underpinning the framework.
“Shipping continues to be a global industry, and as such, needs global regulations. Yes, we have paused now on the adoption, but the work on the implementation continues,” he said in a video interview. “This extra year gives us the chance to connect with all the stakeholders and parties in order to address the questions that were raised, including the lack of clarity around the framework,” he said at a press event.
One of the themes that emerged from Summit discussions was the important role of the EU and China, as well as developing regions like Africa, as emerging centres of supply and demand for zero-emission fuels and champions that can reaffirm the support for the NZF that existed when it was agreed in April.
Shanghai to host 2026 Summit
China’s significance was underscored with the announcement that next year’s Annual Summit will be held in Shanghai, an important global maritime hub and home to one of the world’s busiest container ports.
The 2026 Summit will be supported by Shanghai Maritime University and the People’s Government of Hongkou District.
“Shanghai Maritime University is pleased to collaborate with the Global Maritime Forum, Shanghai Municipal Transportation Commission, and Shanghai Hongkou District in providing support to the Annual Summit 2026. We look forward to contributing toward an event that will bring the industry together to help drive the energy transition and digitalisation of the shipping industry,” said a representative of Shanghai Maritime University.
“Hongkou District extends its warmest welcome and steadfast support for the Global Maritime Forum Annual Summit 2026 to be held next October.
As a core functional zone of the Shanghai International Shipping Center, Hongkou boasts a rich history and profound maritime heritage, having previously gathered many of the world’s leading ports, shipping enterprises and institutions,” said a representative of Hongkou District.
Evolution of the All Aboard Alliance
On the second day of the Summit, the All Aboard Alliance launched its new 2030 strategy and industry ambitions for making at-sea careers more safe, attractive, and inclusive.
“With this new strategy underpinning our work, the All Aboard Alliance community can begin addressing the deep-rooted, systemic challenges facing the roughly two million seafarers who are the backbone of global trade,” said Global Maritime Forum Director of Human Sustainability Susanne Justesen. “It will require us to question these entrenched structures, ask hard questions, and confront uncomfortable truths—and it’s something none of us can do alone. We invite companies to join us in working towards a future where seafarers are at the heart of every voyage.”
The Alliance aims to track progress annually and build transparency, showcase what good looks like by defining better standards for living and working at sea, and align financial incentives towards industry adoption of those standards.
New governance taskforce convened
A key theme that has emerged in recent years is the need for strengthened governance to address uncertainty and geopolitical risks.
In Antwerp, assembled industry leaders expressed growing concern about the dark fleet putting the environment and crew safety at risk. Participants pledged to establish a task force, comprised of industry leaders from across the value chain, to explore ways to address gaps in the enforcement of maritime governance. The task force will convene in the coming weeks and present its initial actions by next year’s Summit.
The 2025 Summit was supported by partners CMB.TECH and the Port of Antwerp-Bruges.
“CMB.TECH is delighted to have partnered with the Global Maritime Forum for this year’s Annual Summit in Antwerp, the beating heart of maritime Europe,” said Alexander Saverys, CEO of CMB.TECH. “Now more than ever, our industry needed to come together to debate about trade, peace, and the future of our planet, all of which are under threat. But this is not our first shipping crisis. For more than 4,000 years, maritime men and women have proven that perseverance, vision, and bravery can make the world a better place. Energised by the positive shipping vibes at the Antwerp Summit, CMB.TECH will continue do its part.”
Jacques Vandermeiren, CEO of Port of Antwerp-Bruges, reiterated the timeliness of this year’s Summit in the wider maritime landscape.
“As the second largest port city in Europe, Antwerp has long been a meeting point for global trade. It has been our privilege to host shipowners, charterers, ports, crew managers, financiers, insurers and many other key stakeholders from across the maritime value chain here in Antwerp at the Global Maritime Forum Annual Summit 2025. At a time of uncertainty in the world, the energy and ideas shared throughout the event give us confidence in the industry’s ability to work together toward a more resilient and sustainable future,” he says.
Source: Global Maritime Forum
