IAPH expresses support for IMO Net-Zero Framework

LONDON: The International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH) Managing Director Patrick Verhoeven has expressed support for IMO’s Net-Zero Framework (NZF), to accelerate shipping’s energy transition.

Speaking at London International Shipping Week, Patrick Verhoeven warned that failure to adopt the IMO Net-Zero Framework (NZF) could result in a fragmented mix of national and regional measures, creating a “disaster for the maritime energy transition.”

IAPH has consistently advocated for an economic mechanism to bridge the pricing gap between hydrocarbon fuels and low- and zero-carbon alternatives, while funding research, development, and necessary port infrastructure, especially in developing countries.

The association also supports a global fuel standard and a credit trading scheme to drive emission reductions and incentivize the adoption of clean fuels.

A study commissioned by IAPH from Maritime & Transport Business Solutions (MTBS) highlighted that developing nations’ ports will require between 55 and 83 billion USD for adaptation and decarbonisation investments. Verhoeven emphasized that the IMO Net Zero Fund could play a key role in financing these investments, ensuring a just transition for ports in developing countries and preventing them from being left behind.

Failure to adopt the NZF, he warned, would create investment uncertainty, delay sector-wide decarbonisation, and likely lead to a complex patchwork of regional measures, such as the EU Emission Trading Scheme, complicating compliance for shipowners and operators. Adopting the Framework would provide clarity, incentivize uptake of low- and zero-carbon fuels, and support global port infrastructure development.

Source: Safety 4 Sea