MEPC 84: Industry urges IMO to deliver clarity on emissions framework

As the International Maritime Organization prepares for Marine Environment Protection Committee’s 84th session (MEPC 84), industry groups and stakeholders are aligning their positions ahead of key decisions on greenhouse gas (GHG) regulation.

IMAGE: Flags of various countries displayed on the IMO building in London. Getty Images

In a joint statement issued before the meeting, major shipping associations - including BIMCO, the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), the International Association of Dry Cargo Shipowners (Intercargo), ferry industry association Interferry, the International Association of Independent Tanker Owners (Intertanko), and the World Shipping Council - emphasised the need for a global regulatory outcome from MEPC 84.

The industry "remains committed to pursuing the ambition established within the 2023 IMO Strategy on Reduction of GHG Emissions from Ships, having invested and committed billions of dollars to trial and implement the use of alternative fuels and innovative technology," the joint statement said.

Following the postponement in adoption of the Net-Zero Framework in October 2025, the shipping industry highlights the "importance of IMO Member States agreeing on a way forward.”

The signatories also warned against fragmented regulation, adding that diverse and overlapping regional and national decarbonisation schemes could result in ships facing double or multiple penalties for the same GHG emissions.

The World Shipping Council has reinforced the commercial impact of regulatory uncertainty.

"Delay is not a neutral choice... Investment needs certainty. Uncertainty does not preserve options; it kills business cases," said Simon Bergulf, vice president for environment and climate at the World Shipping Council.

Case in point, Hong Kong-based shipowner Pacific Basin has cancelled orders for four methanol-capable vessels and shifted back to conventional-fuelled propulsion. The company cited “renewed uncertainty around the timing and final shape” of the IMO’s Net-Zero Framework as the reason for its shift back to conventional fuels.

According to the World Shipping Council, more than 1,100 dual-fuel container ships and vehicle carriers have already been delivered or are on order, highlighting the scale of ongoing investment tied to regulatory expectations.

While discussions on specific guidelines within the Net-Zero Framework are ongoing, policy divisions remain. Disagreements among IMO Member States on issues such as GHG pricing mechanisms and penalties persist, with some proposals to weaken these measures facing opposition from climate-focused groups. These divisions risk slowing progress at MEPC 84 and complicating fuel transition decisions.

The joint industry statement also addressed how regulations should be designed and implemented. “Decision making must be data driven and fuel/technology neutral.”

It further highlighted the need for lifecycle assessment frameworks and certification systems to support any measures adopted and stressed that enforcement must be practical and globally consistent.

Emphasising the importance of the framework, tanker operator Odfjell’s chairman, Laurence Odfjell, said climate change is real and that "we must limit its consequences as much as possible.”

Overall, stakeholders are calling on MEPC 84 to deliver a globally aligned, enforceable regulatory framework consistent with the IMO’s 2023 GHG strategy, while providing the certainty needed to support ongoing investment in fuel transition and technology.

By Tuhin Roy

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