The Italian Confederation of Shipowners sees lights and shadows in the agreement on the decarbonisation of shipping reached Friday by the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) which also - has highlighted Confitarma - "marked a significant step on the path to reducing transport emissions international maritime system".

Noting that "the approval of the new IMO Net Zero Framework, a package of measures that aims to guide the sector towards net-zero emissions by mid-century, the result of long and complex negotiations, introduces a system global carbon pricing, the first of its kind in the industry maritime committee", Confitarma noted that "it is a regulatory framework still being defined, which will have to formally adopted at the extraordinary session of the Committee scheduled for October 2025, and which provides for an application gradual starting from 2027".

According to the Italian Shipowners' Confederation, however, "the new framework can be considered an experiment advanced sectoral climate governance, with the aim of Directing investment towards low- and zero-emission technologies Emissions. The system - Confitarma recalled - provides incentives for the most efficient ships, as well as taxation linked to the Emission balance, according to a "well-to-wake" methodology which takes into account the entire life cycle of fuels".

"The agreement found, although not perfect," he underlined Confitarma - in some respects has brought the IMO back to the forefront as part of efforts to rapidly decarbonise tackling the climate crisis. Shipowners and energy producers need a functional, transparent and that generates the incentives needed to accelerate the energy transition at the required pace; to the state of technologies, significant investments are needed in zero-emission fuels. The maritime sector is already investing billions in new ships and green technologies to be ready for the new fuels when they arrive".

"The approved framework - commented the president of Confitarma, Mario Zanetti - presents elements of interest, but also numerous areas that require further investigation and clarification Application. It is essential that the new measures do not result in an aggravation, especially for those realities that are already investing in the energy transition and that it is provided the certainty that energy producers urgently need to reduce the risks of their large security decisions, investment".

He then highlighted that if the IMO framework has the objective of outline an ecological transition that is also fair and global, the "land" transport, on the other hand, at least for now, tends to focus on technical climate targets (CO2/km) and strategies national or regional ones, without a true vision of global inclusion. "In this context," Zanetti warnet, "the maritime transport risks losing competitiveness compared to other modes of transport, if the environmental costs do not are balanced by similar instruments in other sectors. There is a real risk of distortion, but MEPC 83 is also An opportunity to rethink the entire supply chain global in a sustainable way. However, we need consistency between sectors to prevent those who are already doing more for the climate is penalized on the market".

Finally, Confitarma underlined the importance of maintaining a pragmatic and comprehensive approach and, specifying that transport needs simple, stable rules that can be applied to international level, warned against fragmentation between sectors and between geographical areas that would risk create competitive imbalances.

Considering the agreement reached at the IMO as a starting point important, while many details still remain to be defined, Zanetti confirmed that "Confitarma will continue to collaborate with the Italian administration and associations international organizations of which it is a member representing the armament Italian - primarily ICS and ECSA - to ensure that the implementation takes into account the operational needs of the industry and contributes to sustainable, gradual and realistic".