The European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO) has expressed serious concern over the International Maritime Organisation’s (IMO) decision to postpone the adoption of the Net-Zero Framework (NZF) by one year.
The delay, decided during last week’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) meeting in London, risks creating a standstill in global climate ambition and lowering the pace of progress in maritime decarbonisation.
The NZF was expected to establish a global regulatory foundation for reducing greenhouse gas emissions from shipping, including a fuel standard and a pricing mechanism. ESPO considers this postponement a missed opportunity to accelerate the sector’s transition to clean fuels and fears it will further prolong the fragmentation and unlevel playing field stemming from regional regulations.
This decision is particularly disappointing given the strong calls from across the shipping sector for a unified global approach. The momentum was there, with broad support for a framework that could provide clarity, predictability, and a level playing field for all actors in the maritime supply chain. The postponement risks undermining this rare moment of convergence and weakens the credibility of international climate leadership in shipping.
Despite this setback, ESPO welcomes the European Commission’s new strategy to shape a global clean and resilient transition, which aims to inject political momentum into climate action, support clean tech industries, and expand global partnerships for sustainable value chains.
To maintain progress and incentivise the uptake of clean fuels, ESPO calls on the Commission to take concrete actions, including:
- Introducing targeted tax exemptions for electricity used by ships at berth and for zero-carbon fuels such as green methanol, ammonia, and hydrogen, to reduce operating costs and stimulate demand.
- Deploying subsidies and carbon contracts for difference (CCfDs) to bridge the price gap between fossil and sustainable fuels, especially in early deployment phases.
- Using revenues from the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) to support port infrastructure for clean fuel bunkering and onshore power supply (OPS), prioritising those investments where it makes most sense.
- Incentivising the demand for clean fuels, taking away the uncertainty and making it more attractive for fuel producers and suppliers to invest and step up capacity.
The postponement should not be interpreted as a cancellation. ESPO acknowledges that the IMO’s technical work on developing guidelines and implementation pathways is still ongoing. ESPO urges all stakeholders—governments, industry, and civil society—not to lose faith in the process and to continue contributing constructively. The global maritime community must stay engaged and committed to shaping a framework that is both ambitious and workable.
Moreover, in the provisional absence of a breakthrough at global level, Europe’s ports ask the Commission to effectively address the negative impacts of the EU regional approach measures on business leakage and competitiveness. Awaiting a possible alignment between EU and future IMO regulations, market distortions that undermine the strength of European ports should be recognised and addressed.
ESPO finally also calls on the Commission, EU Member States, and the maritime stakeholders to continue pushing for robust global regulation under the IMO, ensuring that international shipping remains on a credible path toward net-zero emissions.
