US FMC DiBella calls for rethinking IMO’s Net-Zero Framework, asks role for LNG and bio-LNG

The Commissioner of the U.S. Federal Maritime Commission, Laura DiBella, issued a statement on Thursday regarding the Net-Zero Framework (NZF), currently under consideration at the International Maritime Organization, arguing that the initiative in its current state raises more questions than it answers and must be rethought before international acceptance and implementation.

The NZF is an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from ships, aiming for net-zero emissions in the maritime sector by the year 2050.

Any viable proposal, she argued, must allow for the maximum range of alternate fuel sources, including LNG and bio-LNG.

Commissioner DiBella expressed concerns about the proposed initiative, mentioning that the primary flaw in the NZF is the attempt to move shipping away from the global petroleum system by regulation rather than by the operation of ordinary market forces.

In a statement issued on August 20, DiBella said the framework encourages the development of fuel diversity, but some proposals would limit alternate fuel sources.

The IMO’s attempt to dictate, as she said, ships’ use of fuel types could lead to run-away costs passed on to consumers in the U.S. and around the world.

The statement notes that efforts toward emissions reductions must be linked explicitly to demonstrated