Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Arsenio Dominguez, has expressed confidence that member states will approve the body’s proposed net zero framework at an extraordinary meeting in London next month.
Speaking during London International Shipping Week on Tuesday, Dominguez said he trusted the process, stakeholders and commitments already made by member states, adding that the pledges secured in 2023 and reaffirmed earlier this year left him in no doubt that the framework would be formally adopted.
His remarks came a day after ABS Chairman and Chief Executive Chris Wiernicki urged the IMO to pause its net zero framework, warning that “shipping and the IMO are on different trajectories.”
Wiernicki argued that there is currently no viable pathway to produce green fuels at the scale required to power the industry’s transition away from fossil fuels.
Tensions have been heightened further by reports last month that the United States delegation had sought to pressure IMO member states into opposing the regulations, allegedly threatening tariffs against nations that refused to align with Washington’s demands.
Despite such challenges, IMO officials remain upbeat. Roel Hoenders, head of climate action and clean air at the organisation, defended the process, noting that the framework was rooted in years of negotiation and consensus-building. He highlighted that the IMO’s greenhouse gas strategy, adopted in 2023, had already set out the net zero target and accompanying reduction pathways.
“I trust the membership, that the member states, including also all the stakeholders that represent different parts of the sector in the maritime spectrum, the commitment that was made back in 2023, reiterated in April this year, and that’s why I have no doubts that we will continue to make progress, we will finalise with adoption of the amendments and move forward into the implementation phase,” Dominguez said.
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