IMO: The need for clean fuels persists in all transport modes

November 29, 2024, by Naida Hakirevic Prevljak

Spanning all transport modes, there is a need for affordable green fuels and energy sources to achieve global decarbonization goals. Different transport modes can work together to boost the production of clean fuels, the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Secretary-General recently highlighted.

Transport propels economic growth and connects nations – but also contributes to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions worldwide. International shipping, inland transport and international aviation UN bodies are working to cut emissions.

An official side event at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 29) in Baku, Azerbaijan, brought together IMO, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). The event outlined the ambitions of the three pillars of transport in the United Nations: maritime, air and inland transport intending to achieve sustainable transport and mobility, including low- and zero-carbon mobility in coordination with the fuel and energy supply systems.

IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez reminded participants that international shipping carries more than 80% of international trade and has already improved its energy efficiency performance by over 20% since the first IMO climate regulations came into force.

“I wish to highlight just one aspect which I think is key in achieving ambitious strategies in all transport modes – the need for abundant, safe, affordable and environmentally sustainable fuels and energy sources,” Dominguez stressed.

“While the end-fuels may vary across different transport sectors, we can work together to scale up the demand, and thereby boost the production and supply of zero- and near-zero fuels.”

According to the latest report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), inland transport contributes more than 72% of global energy-related CO2 emissions in the transport sector, with 69% stemming from road transport. Aviation is responsible for approximately 2.4% of total anthropogenic emissions of CO2 on an annual basis, whereas estimated total emissions from maritime transport correspond to 2–3%.

The event at COP29 reflected on the recent progress made by UNECE, ICAO and IMO in addressing the impact of their transport sectors on climate change, as well as showcased how their Member States and key stakeholders are contributing to actions necessary to achieve carbon neutrality.

In the shipping panel, public and private maritime experts highlighted various aspects of shipping decarbonization under IMO’s leadership, including the development of sustainable marine fuel standards, the need for global rules, the importance of technological innovation, and the need for enhanced cooperation between governments, shipowners, charterers, shippers, fuel providers and the port sector.

In related news, global maritime industry leaders committed at COP29 to increasing the uptake of zero or near-zero GHG emission shipping fuels to at least 5%, striving for 10%, by 2030.

More than 50 leaders across the spectrum of the shipping value chain — e-fuel producers, vessel and cargo owners, ports, and equipment manufacturers — signed a Call to Action on November 12, 2024, to accelerate the adoption of zero-emission fuels.