The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has approved the net-zero framework for the decarbonisation of the global maritime sector by 2050 will be formally adopted in October 2025.

The new regulations, endorsed in April 2025, target net-zero ship fuels and emissions by 2050, with calls for increased investment in scaling up the production of alternative fuels in large quantities to replace the 350 million tonnes of fuel oil currently consumed by ships yearly.

The IMO Secretary-General, Arsenio Dominguez, made this known at the recently concluded Blue Economy Finance Forum in Monaco.

The IMO stressed that upgrading port infrastructure and bunkering operations will be essential to safely supply clean energy to ships at ports around the world.
Dominguez emphasised that regulations alone will not suffice, stating that the maritime industry requires significant investment in technological development and alternative fuels.

“Decarbonisation has a cost. We have already spent money polluting the environment. It is time for all of us to invest in cleaning it and making it sustainable for future generations,” he said.

He explained that the IMO Net-Zero Framework adopts a two-pronged approach, which includes a global fuel standard limiting the greenhouse gas (GHG) intensity of marine fuels and a market-based measure that places a price on GHG emissions from ships.

According to Dominguez, the regulations will send a strong demand signal to fuel producers, while rewarding shipping companies that adopt low- and zero-emission solutions early and share their experiences with others.

He noted that the net-zero framework complements earlier IMO measures, including standards for energy-efficient ship design, operational improvements and carbon intensity ratings.

These measures, he said, will be reviewed every five years, with emission limits set to tighten progressively.

Dominguez emphasised that the new regulations are mandatory and will apply to all ocean-going ships engaged in international trade, regardless of their flag.

He also pointed out that the transition will affect training, with nearly 500,000 seafarers requiring upskilling by 2030.

He also stated that safety protocols will need to be comprehensively updated to ensure that new fuels are deployed safely and efficiently.

The IMO Secretary-General urged the international community to focus on concrete actions and the implementation of existing global commitments.

According to the World Shipping Council (WSC), at least 200 ocean liners (container ships) are already in operation with the capability to run on zero or near-zero emission (ZNZ) fuels.

The Council stated that nearly 80 per cent of all new orders for container ships and vehicle carriers are expected to have hybrid or zero-emission capabilities.

The President of the WSC, Joe Kramek, stated that the liner industry has already invested $150 billion in decarbonisation, which is an unprecedented figure in the transport sector.

The Executive Vice-President of shipping and logistics giant CMA CGM, Christine Cabau-Woehrel, acknowledged the scale of the challenge, noting that decarbonisation is a complete transformation of the shipping business that will require coordinated efforts across ecosystems to succeed.