The International Bunker Industry Association (IBIA) has urged member states to stay engaged with the IMO process after political divisions derailed efforts to adopt the organisation’s Net-Zero Framework last week.
IBIA said it had expected, along with a significant number of international associations, a different outcome from the IMO’s extraordinary MEPC session.
The association had supported the adoption of the framework and was already engaged in detailed work on implementation guidelines.
However, a majority of IMO member states were not prepared to move forward, forcing a year-long delay to the framework that could have made shipping the first sector with a global regulatory structure for decarbonisation.
“A working group meeting at IMO next week to prepare implementing guidelines will see an attempt to heal the diplomatic scars of this week,” IBIA said.
“IBIA will continue to support IMO and its work, representing the views of the whole marine energy supply chain.”
