London, 24 February 2025: Last week’s International Maritime Organization (IMO) ISWG-GHG 18 negotiations saw increasing support for a levy on the international shipping industry’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. However, there is a risk of the measures set to be adopted leaving the sector overly reliant on non-solutions like biofuels, that would significantly dilute their ambition and capacity to decarbonise the sector.

Aurelia Leeuw, Director of EU Policy at the SASHA Coalition and Opportunity Green, said:

“Negotiations this week at the IMO have laid bare how fragile the hard-fought progress is for truly net zero fuels: there is a serious risk that the ambition of the final measures will be watered down or else undermined by an over-reliance on non-solutions like biofuels.

We're now hoping the upcoming MEPC meetings will solidify support for measures that adequately incentivise shipping's transition to green hydrogen solutions, such as e-fuels. A robust and scientific approach to the IMO’s fuel standard, in parallel with an ambitious GHG pricing mechanism, offers the best chance for the maritime sector to decarbonise at the pace needed.”

Across their lifecycles biofuels have higher emissions than green hydrogen solutions such as e-fuels. Furthermore, their production poses serious risks to nature and biodiversity. The SASHA Coalition exposed the extent of this risk in its Fuelling Nature report.

IMO measures should prioritise and provide greatest incentives to the fuels with the lowest lifecycle emissions – green hydrogen e-fuels.