Union of Greek Shipowners (UGS) president Melina Travlos has delivered a carefully worded warning that the proposed IMO Net-Zero Framework risks placing an undue burden on economies and societies without delivering the desired environmental benefits.
The president of the UGS is calling for realistic and effective policies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, in statements ahead of critical International Maritime Organization (IMO) negotiations on maritime decarbonisation in London from 1-4 September.
The Union of Greek Shipowners voiced its support for a proposal put forward by Panama and Liberia for shipping’s decarbonisation. In a statement issued as negotiations over the IMO’s proposed Net-Zero Framework continue, Mrs Travlos said the approach suggested by Panama and Liberia takes into account critical parameters, such as the affordability, availability and scalability of the required fuels.
“In this context, the approach suggested by Panama and Liberia, while leaving room for further improvement, provides a balanced and pragmatic foundation for continuing the international dialogue.”
Mrs Travlos noted that Japan’s proposal acknowledges the importance of these parameters in determining shipping’s decarbonisation pathway.
She highlighted that the Panama and Liberia proposal also recognises the crucial role of ship energy efficiency and its contribution to reducing emissions, “a factor of particular importance while suitable fuels are either not available at all or only at excessive prices.”
The UGS president said negotiations to date had “revealed significant weaknesses” in the proposed IMO Net-Zero Framework, which “is not the solution.”
Travlos called on IMO member states to heed the voice of the industry for a “global solution” that will “secure the necessary international consensus” and “combine environmental effectiveness, economic viability and social fairness.”
Speaking about the next stages of IMO negotiations on a global measure, Mrs Travlos pointed to the urgency of a “single, functional and truly workable global framework,” adopted by the industry’s international regulatory body, the IMO.
“It is critical that the voice of shipping, the sector that will be called to implement these measures, is meaningfully heard.”
She emphasised that ambitious targets need to remain realistic, “and go hand in hand with solutions that reflect technological capabilities and the realities of the global market.”
The UGS president highlighted that the green transition of shipping cannot succeed without the actual involvement of the industry.
The Union of Greek Shipowners has also reaffirmed its commitment to shipping’s decarbonisation, mentioning that the industry is systematically investing in energy efficiency, new technologies, steadily reducing the carbon intensity of the sector’s emissions.
“The goal is one: meaningful decarbonisation. Because progress is ultimately defined by what can be achieved in practice, always guided by the common good, not by what is planned in theory,” she said.
Furthermore, Travlos pointed to the urgency of substantially reducing greenhouse gas emissions amid climate change and the growing frequency of extreme weather events.
“Climate change is a reality that we are experiencing with ever-increasing intensity. The growing frequency of extreme weather events makes the substantial reduction of greenhouse gas emissions an urgent matter of both individual and collective responsibility. The goal of decarbonisation is clear and shared,” she said.
