IMO Member States Agree to Continue Net-Zero Framework Talks as MEPC 84 Sets Path to Late-2026 Decision

International Maritime Organization member states have agreed to continue negotiations on the Net-Zero Framework following the conclusion of MEPC 84 on 1 May, with the regulation's future expected to be determined at an extraordinary session scheduled for 4 December 2026. Two additional intersessional working groups will meet in September and immediately ahead of MEPC 85, addressing remaining structural concerns about the framework after a week of talks that delivered procedural alignment but no resolution on substance.

 

Outcome of MEPC 84

 

The 84th session of the Marine Environment Protection Committee, which began on 27 April and concluded late on 1 May, kept the Net-Zero Framework under formal consideration without delivering a decisive vote on adoption. IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez framed the outcome by stating that the organisation was kind of back on track and that member states needed to rebuild trust, urging delegates to maintain dialogue between sessions. Dominguez pointed to wider convergence on the terms of reference for the upcoming working groups, while acknowledging that divergence remains on the structural design of the framework itself. The framing positions MEPC 84 as a procedural reset following the breakdown of the October 2025 extraordinary session, rather than a substantive breakthrough on emissions regulation.

 

Path Toward MEPC 85 and the Extraordinary Session

 

Member states have agreed to hold MEPC 85 from 30 November to 3 December 2026, with 4 December reserved for the extraordinary session expected to determine the future of the regulation. That timetable creates a defined decision window that the industry, member states, and observers can plan around, ending the open-ended uncertainty that has characterised the process since the October 2025 adjournment. The structure of the schedule, with the regular session immediately followed by the extraordinary session, is designed to allow technical and political work to feed directly into the final adoption decision. For shipowners, fuel suppliers, and ports, the firm December date provides a more predictable horizon for planning capital allocation, fleet renewal, and bunkering investment.

 

Two Intersessional Working Groups Scheduled

 

The IMO is expected to convene two intersessional working groups on the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from ships, with session 22 in September and session 23 in the week preceding MEPC 85. According to a draft seen by Riviera, both groups will examine how to address remaining concerns and issues related to the Net-Zero Framework and will submit written reports to MEPC 85. The use of intersessional working groups is significant because it gives technical experts and member state delegations the time and space to engage with structural design issues outside the political pressure of full committee sessions. Successful intersessional work has historically been the mechanism through which complex IMO regulations have moved from contested drafting toward adoptable text.

 

Industry Response From the International Chamber of Shipping

 

International Chamber of Shipping secretary-general Thomas Kazakos has described the MEPC 84 discussions as constructive, while acknowledging that many member states remain unable to adopt a global regulatory framework unless further adjustments are made. He has emphasised that governments need to move toward the adoption of a comprehensive and fit-for-purpose global framework as soon as possible to enable the industry to accelerate its transition to alternative energy sources, and welcomed the decision to convene additional negotiations in September. The ICS position reflects the broader stance of established shipping membership organisations, which have consistently argued that regulatory uncertainty is a greater obstacle to decarbonisation than the cost of compliance itself.

 

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Tanker Owner Perspective From Intertanko

 

Intertanko, representing independent tanker owners, has stated that while no decisive progress on a global decarbonisation framework was achieved this week, consensus remains that such a framework is the only viable solution capable of delivering on the IMO's ambition while avoiding regulatory fragmentation. The association has acknowledged that divergence remains on the actual form the framework will take, and has framed the agreed intersessional work as necessary to strengthen proposals, focus discussions, and foster broader convergence ahead of the December extraordinary session. The position is significant because it sustains industry alignment on the principle of a global IMO-led framework even as substantive disagreement on design persists.

 

Continuing Structural Disagreements

 

The core unresolved issue at MEPC 84 was the structural design of the framework rather than the principle of regulation itself. Disagreements among member states have concentrated on the choice of regulatory instruments, the calibration of compliance and pricing mechanisms, the use of revenues generated by the framework, and the treatment of small island developing states and least developed countries. These structural differences have proven difficult to resolve in plenary settings, which is why the agreement to channel further work into intersessional groups represents the most realistic pathway to an adoptable text by December. The success of the framework will ultimately depend on whether the September and pre-MEPC 85 sessions can produce convergence on these structural questions.

 

Stakes for the IMO Process

 

The credibility of the IMO as the global regulator for shipping emissions remains tied to its ability to deliver an adoptable framework within the new timeline. A second adjournment in December would significantly weaken the institution's position and increase the likelihood of regulatory fragmentation, with regional and national measures filling the gap left by an unresolved global framework. That outcome would be problematic for shipowners managing fleets across multiple jurisdictions, for fuel suppliers planning capital investment in alternative fuels, and for ports investing in bunkering infrastructure. The structured intersessional process and the firm December decision date are designed to reduce that risk, but the underlying political dynamics that contributed to the October 2025 breakdown have not yet been fully resolved.

 

Implications for the Decarbonisation Pathway

 

For the broader maritime decarbonisation pathway, the MEPC 84 outcome reinforces the importance of the December 2026 extraordinary session as a defining moment for the global shipping transition. The window between now and that decision will see significant lobbying, technical work, and member state coordination, with industry groups, flag states, and shipowner organisations all attempting to shape the final text. The decisions taken at the December session will influence fuel pathway investment, vessel newbuilding specifications, and the operational economics of shipping for decades. In the meantime, shipowners and operators are continuing to make real-world capital decisions on alternative fuels, dual-fuel newbuilds, and bunkering infrastructure, often based on regional regulatory signals such as the EU Emissions Trading System and FuelEU Maritime, rather than waiting for a global outcome that has now been deferred multiple times.