Discussions at MEPC 84: Decarbonization of Shipping in Focus

At the MEPC 84 meeting, discussions demonstrated that the decarbonization process within the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has once again entered an active phase of political negotiations, according to Steve Isau, operational director of SEA-LNG.

While there is broad support for the IMO's 2023 Greenhouse Gas Strategy and for maintaining a global framework for decarbonizing shipping, the path to agreement on the IMO's Framework for Zero Emissions (NZF) has now become significantly more open and uncertain.

It is clear that the debates are no longer focused on whether the IMO should establish a global framework for decarbonizing maritime transport. There is wide consensus on this goal.

The task now is to reach agreement on what an acceptable global framework should look like in practice, particularly regarding the balance between environmental ambitions, economic implications, fuel availability, infrastructure readiness, and political acceptability.

In this context, MEPC 84 noted the recognition that compromise remains necessary if the IMO wants to maintain its role as the central global regulator for decarbonizing shipping.

One of the most obvious areas of agreement during the discussions was the importance of keeping the IMO as the primary global regulator. This is a critically important outcome for SEA-LNG members. Delegations repeatedly warned that failure to reach consensus could accelerate the development of regional and unilateral measures, increase fragmentation, and expose shipping to the risk of overlapping compliance regimes and costs.

For industry participants, the risks associated with fragmentation are significant. Shipping is a global industry that requires globally workable solutions. Investment decisions regarding vessels, fuel infrastructure, and supply chains are made for decades, not political cycles. Regulatory divergence creates uncertainty that directly impacts investment timelines, fleet renewal, and strategies for transitioning to new fuels.

The discussions reaffirmed the need for a unified global framework that is goal-oriented, technology-neutral, and capable of accommodating various transition pathways while maintaining environmental integrity.

A significant amount of technical work related to implementation guidelines, life cycle assessment methodologies, and supporting structures continued at MEPC 84. However, political discussions focused on the architecture of the NZF itself.

This became particularly evident during negotiations on the Terms of Reference for ISWG-GHG 22 and 23. What could have been procedural discussions effectively turned into proxy negotiations about whether the NZF remains open for revision and to what extent.

The agreed Terms of Reference ultimately left all major options on the table, allowing for further consideration of proposals concerning limited clarifications of the existing framework. These include issues related to current amendments to Annex VI of MARPOL, continued development of implementation guidelines and life cycle assessment methodologies, as well as proposals concerning broader structural changes to the framework itself.

As a result, the process has moved away from what seemed to be a phase of near-adoption at the extraordinary MEPC meeting (ES.2) in October 2025. The NZF is now back within the broader political negotiation process.