The maritime sector is under growing regulatory, commercial and stakeholder pressure to reduce emissions. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has signaled legally binding intensity-targets via its forthcoming Global Fuel Standard (GFS) and Net-Zero Framework (NZF), and even with a delay in decision from 2025 to 2026, the target remains the same.
The regulation consists of two key instruments:
1. A global fuel standard (GFS) limiting well-to-wake GHG intensity, and
2. An economic mechanism (a levy-and-rebate or “feebate” system), remain on the table but subject to further negotiation on design and revenue distribution.
IMO 2025: Njord’s Key Takeaways and the Trends Set to Shape 2026
2025 has been a turning point for maritime decarbonization policy, but 2026 will be about delayed decisions and accelerated exposure.
While the IMO has hit pause on its global carbon package ,regional schemes like FuelEU Maritime and the EU ETS are moving full speed ahead, shifting regulatory weight from ambition to enforcement.
At MEPC 83 (October 2025), the IMO did not adopt the long-awaited mid-term GHG package. Instead, the committee postponed adoption by one year, targeting MEPC 84 (autumn 2026) for final agreement.
This delay is not a derailment but a 12-month breathing space. Political alignment is fragile, but the direction of travel is unchanged: global fuel-carbon pricing is inevitable.
The pause, however, leaves a regulatory gap in 2026, one that regional systems will fill. For shipowners and operators, it means global uncertainty but local certainty: the EU ETS and FuelEU will continue to define real-world costs and compliance obligations.
Regional Regulation and other incentive schemes, Where the Real Action Is
While the IMO debates architecture, the EU and UK are implementing it in practice.
- FuelEU Maritime enters its first compliance year in 2026, with verified GHG-intensity reports due by 31 January.
- EU ETS(shipping) expands to 70 % of emissions from EU-related voyages, with allowances due 30 September 2026.
- UK ETS begins on 1st of July 2026, initially covering domestic and in-port emissions, with a broader review planned for 2027.
- Panama Canal has created their NetZero slot to help encourage owners to adopt alternative fuels and lower their emissions and with a 2nd phase slated to take effect during 2026. Phase 2 will recognize energy efficiency technologies beyond dual-fuel capabilities.
Regionalization is becoming structural. Carbon costs will now be a normal line item in voyage economics. Shipowners and operators with clear data and efficiency plans will be positioned to treat compliance as an efficiency lever, not just an obligation.
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