What happened at the MEPC Extraordinary Session
The extraordinary session was convened to adopt draft amendments to MARPOL Annex VI, including the NZF agreed in April 2025. Yet, after a week of negotiations, consensus could not be reached, largely due to pressure and delay tactics from countries including the United States and Saudi Arabia. The vote will now be rescheduled for October 2026, potentially delaying the framework’s entry into force until 2030, even if it is ultimately adopted.
This pause is discouraging, but it also reveals that there is strong support among climate-ambitious countries for a clean and sustainable shipping sector. The delay leaves the sector in uncertainty, but it is a clear reminder that the world cannot allow vested interests or geopolitical manoeuvring to dictate the pace of climate action. Countries committed to meaningful decarbonisation must seize this opportunity to build a strong majority in favour of ambitious targets and ensure the NZF delivers tangible emission reductions.
Opportunities in the year ahead
Work on the guidelines for implementing the NZF will continue through the Intersessional Working Group on the Reduction of Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Ships, scheduled for 20–24 October 2025. This additional time can be used strategically to strengthen the framework, including developing clear incentives for scalable green e-fuels and safeguards to prevent first-generation biofuels from driving deforestation.
In the meantime, Europe cannot afford to wait. The EU has already taken significant steps in decarbonising shipping, and its policies now stand as the most substantive regulations addressing emissions in the absence of an adopted NZF. The European Commission’s recent statement reaffirmed the EU’s commitment to green shipping, but these commitments must be translated into concrete action. Bold regional initiatives, such as supporting wind propulsion and other low-carbon technologies, can showcase the economic benefits of decarbonisation while setting a global example.
The NZF’s delay also highlights a structural problem: reliance on the consensus method in international negotiations allows a small number of countries to block progress, stalling urgent climate action. Alternative approaches, including more flexible voting procedures and stronger regional coalitions, could accelerate adoption and ensure the framework delivers meaningful results rather than symbolic commitments.
The shipping sector is already moving in the right direction. Innovations such as wind-assisted propulsion are gaining traction in ports and shipyards across Europe, demonstrating that the transition to a zero-emission fleet is feasible and economically viable. The EU must leverage this momentum, pairing regulation with market incentives to make decarbonisation both necessary and profitable.
A warning, not a defeat
The adjournment in London is a warning, not a defeat. It underscores the urgent need for strategic coordination, ambitious guidelines, and regional leadership. Shipping accounts for nearly 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions, a share that is set to rise sharply if no collective action is taken. The window to act decisively is closing fast. Next year is an opportunity to strengthen the framework, align incentives, and demonstrate that a zero-emission maritime economy is within reach. The IMO, the EU, and the global shipping industry must seize it.