The US urges the IMO to abandon its Net Zero Framework, citing concerns over its impact on the organization's core mission and economic implications.
The United States has urged the International Maritime Organisation to drop its proposed Net Zero Framework, warning it risks turning the UN shipping body into a global climate-policy authority, reports Saint Petersburg's PortNews.
Marco Sylvester, deputy assistant secretary for transportation affairs at the US Department of State, told the Capital Link Greek Shipping Forum in Athens that Washington's stance was not a retreat from cooperation but a concern that the framework would reshape the IMO's core mandate.
He emphasized that common sense was needed, arguing that the proposal would freeze progress rather than facilitate it. Mr. Sylvester warned that the economic burden of zero-emission targets would flow through the supply chain to consumers and urged shipowners to be clear about what is technically and commercially achievable.
Greece's maritime affairs minister, Vasilis Kikilias, stated that regulatory costs move from ship to charterer and then to end users, while stressing that the transition is being steered toward fuels that remain marginal and lack infrastructure. Cyprus deputy minister, Marina Hadjimanolis, called for greater realism, while Malta's transport minister, Chris Bonett, said the EU should act as a single bloc.
The Net Zero Framework has become a central fault line at the IMO as governments and shipping interests weigh faster emissions cuts against competitiveness and the risk of fragmented regional rules. The IMO sets global standards for safety, security, and environmental performance in shipping through conventions adopted by member states.
