IMO Reports Constructive Progress After Contentious MEPC Week

The International Maritime Organisation’s Intersessional Working Group on Reduction of Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Ships concluded a week of closed door meetings. 

Observers reported constructive engagement, steady technical progress, and a more conciliatory tone after the fractious Marine Environment Protection Committee session the week before.

The working group “rose above the rancour” of the extraordinary MEPC session and returned to practical work preparing implementation guidelines for the Net‑Zero Framework, which member states had adjourned for one year at MEPC’s extraordinary session on 17th October 2025. 

Observers said the meeting clarified priorities for items such as the Net Zero Fund’s governance and the principles that should guide its operation, enabling delegates to make headway on otherwise contentious technical matters.

“We observed constructive participation from all parties - including those with prior concerns - which led to real progress on key technical guidelines,” said Research Fellow at UCL Shipping and Oceans Research Group, Dr. Annika Frosch. 

“Even previously contentious topics, such as the Net Zero Fund, experienced broad and active involvement from many delegations, helping to clarify priorities like establishing the Governing Board and fundamental principles to guide the fund’s future work”.

Several NGOs and industry observers ended the week cautiously optimistic. Delaine McCullough of the Clean Shipping Coalition said the adjournment was “just a postponement and not the end” of the Net‑Zero Framework, and Emma Fenton of Opportunity Green highlighted that delegates had come together to progress the supporting guidelines that will provide necessary clarity for implementation.

The working sessions concentrated on technical building blocks needed for any future adoption: incentivising the energy transition, setting up the fund architecture, and agreeing robust lifecycle and sustainability criteria for alternative fuels. 

Delegates debated differentiating rewards for fuels on lifecycle performance, and discussed the role biofuels and wind propulsion should play in the framework. Wind-assisted projects are gaining renewed attention from proponents who argue they can deliver meaningful, near-term emissions cuts.

“Understanding what happened at the IMO in October and why is now central not just for any chance of future adoption, but for just and equitable climate action generally,” said Professor of Energy and Transport at UCL Shipping and Oceans Research Group, Dr. Tristan Smith. “This lost momentum can be recovered, but we have taken a step closer to the abyss that is dangerous climate change”.

Christiaan de Beukelaer, an observer from the University of Melbourne, said that under the Working Group Chair, Sveinung Oftedahl’s guidance “the vast majority of delegations in the room worked on ensuring that the IMO can deliver on its unanimously‑adopted 2023 GHG Strategy through the Net‑Zero Framework,” and that obstructive interventions from some states were progressively sidelined in the technical exchanges.

Still, the outcome remains fragile. The Net‑Zero Framework’s timetable has shifted, with adoption now unlikely to enter into force before 2029 if remaining negotiation rounds and implementation work proceed at standard pace. 

Observers warned that the intervening year creates risks of regulatory fragmentation if regions pursue unilateral measures and highlighted the urgency of finalising robust, equitable guidelines at upcoming sessions in 2026 and at the reconvened MEPC in October 2026.

“While the Net-Zero Framework is far from perfect, adopting it would have been an important step to deliver on the IMO’s commitment and send key signals to an industry that was not only asking for a global framework, but actively supported this deal,” said John Maggs of the Clean Shipping Coalition. 

Delegates will use the year to refine the technical guidelines covering measurement, reporting and verification, the Net Zero Fund’s governance, fuel lifecycle methodologies and reward mechanisms. 

Supporters hope the intersessional technical work completed this week will make it easier to bridge political gaps next year and to return to MEPC with a stronger consensus on a globally enforceable pathway to decarbonise international shipping.

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