16 OCT 2025
EU support has been critical in International Maritime Organization’s net zero ambitions but cracks could be appearing in its rock-solid stance.
The EU presents a united face at the IMO, but the façade may be dropping as the reality of the Net Zero Framework draws closer and the fear mounts for some countries that they may not be able to exploit energy reserves.
EU member states have been considered key drivers of the NZF driving change at IMO and garnering support from other states concerned about climate change to move shipping’s transition at pace, when compared to much of the IMO regulatory moves. These changes have been made possible by what was thought to be a rock-solid support from across the EU 27.
Speaking at the Cypriot press conference at last month’s London International Shipping Week the Deputy Shipping Minister, Marina Hadjimanolis, flanked by the Permanent Secretary Dr Stelios Himonas and Cyprus’s IMO representative Christos Atalianis, cast doubt on the country’s support for the NZF.
In a move that is expected to anger other member states Hadjimanolis suggested that Cyprus could be swayed by arguments that seek to ease the limitations on LNG, with Himonas suggesting, “We have large reserves of LNG,” indicating this would be economically beneficial for the Mediterranean island state.
One source, who is a representative at the IMO, was scathing about the Cypriot view saying pointing out that any “amendments to the MARPOL agreement were discussed at MEPC 83 in April, that was their opportunity to make changes, any substantive change to now would be going against both Brussels and IMO’s procedure”.
A second source, close to one of the delegations backed that view, adding that, “the details will be discussed at the upcoming Extraordinary meeting, [scheduled to start on 14 October] any changes to the level of ambition should have taken place at the April meeting.”
With detailed discussions already under way and the process now at a watershed moment the stakes could not be higher, with the US already seen as a disruptor, having reportedly approached the Dutch delegation in the hope of breaking the EU consensus, it is not beyond the realms of possibility that other delegations have been or will be approached.
Though Hadjimanolis denies any approach to the Cypriot delegation to date.
It is expected, by most IMO observers, that the two thirds majority vote necessary to pass the NZF will be achieved. That, however, is not the end of the road, the regulations must then be ratified by the nation states in the following ten months, and that requires approval by states whose registries represent at least 50% of global tonnage.
According to one senior figure that could be as little as four flag states, including Panama, Marshall Islands, Liberia and Hong Kong registries alone would secure the necessary 50%.
Moreover, senior industry figures such as Chris Wiernicki CEO at ABS and DNV’s maritime CEO Knut Ørbeck-Nilssen have called for a change of course with Wiernicki stating, “LNG and biofuels are mission critical to any success [of the NZF] and should not be overlooked, over penalized or discarded in the Net Zero regulation. Quite frankly, achieving net zero for shipping by 2050 looks like a wildcard.”
While Ørbeck-Nilssen believes that LNG is a transitional fuel, that with the production of bio-LNG and e-LNG this could lead to the maritime industry “Beginning to swing towards using LNG as an alternative fuel”.
Tristan Smith, professor of energy and transport at University College London, believes that these pronouncements by both Ørbeck-Nilssen and Wiernicki are “highly cynical”.
“They are dog whistling. They did the same when the IMO introduced low sulphur fuel, it is part of the lobbying process, and it reflects the powerful shipowners’ lobby at the IMO,” added Smith.