The Framework was approved at MEPC 83 in April 2025. The extraordinary session called to formally adopt it in October 2025 was adjourned for about a year, with talks due to resume in late 2026. It is not in force and nothing is payable yet. Timelines and figures below reflect the text as approved and may change on adoption. We update this page as the position develops.
What the Framework is
The IMO Net-Zero Framework is a set of amendments to MARPOL Annex VI intended to deliver the IMO's 2023 GHG Strategy — net-zero emissions from international shipping by or around 2050. It has two linked parts: a global fuel standard that sets a declining limit on the greenhouse-gas intensity of the energy ships use, and a global GHG pricing mechanism that puts a price on emissions above that limit. It would apply to oceangoing ships above 5,000 GT, which produce the large majority of the sector's emissions.
The GHG Fuel Intensity (GFI) standard
Each ship's fuel is scored on a well-to-wake GHG Fuel Intensity — grams of CO₂-equivalent per megajoule of energy. The reference value is 93.3 gCO₂eq/MJ (the 2008 fleet average). The Framework sets two targets that tighten every year to 2035:
A base target (the headline reduction the whole fleet must move toward) and a stricter direct-compliance target. As approved, the base target reaches roughly a 65% reduction by 2040. Where a ship's actual fuel intensity lands relative to these two lines determines what, if anything, it pays.
The two-tier carbon price
This is the part that reaches the bunker bill. As approved, for the initial 2028–2030 period there are two prices:
A ship that beats the direct-compliance target generates surplus units, which it can bank or transfer to over-emitting ships. A ship that falls short buys remedial units by paying into the IMO Net-Zero Fund at the tier prices above. The Fund's revenue is intended to reward zero- and near-zero (ZNZ) fuels and support a just transition — though the Fund is one of the least-developed parts of the text.
The reward for clean fuels
Fuels at or below a ZNZ threshold of 19.0 gCO₂eq/MJ (tightening to 14.0 from 2035) — an ~80% cut versus the reference — qualify as zero- or near-zero and are set to be rewarded from the Fund. That is the carrot beside the stick: the Framework is designed to make genuinely low-carbon fuels cheaper on a compliance-adjusted basis than paying the Tier 2 price.
How it interacts with the EU rules
The EU's EU ETS and FuelEU Maritime are regional measures already in force on European voyages. The IMO Framework would be global. On a voyage touching Europe, an operator could face both at once. How the EU aligns its measures with a global IMO price — to avoid double-charging the same tonne of CO₂ — is an open question that will shape the real cost. Meanwhile the operational CII rating continues to push the same direction.
What it means for bunker buyers
Nothing is payable today, and the numbers may move on adoption. But the direction is clear and now near-universal across regulators: a rising cost on carbon-intensive fuel and a reward for low-carbon fuel. For anyone planning fuel strategy into the late 2020s, that means treating biofuel blends, LNG, methanol and future ZNZ fuels as part of a compliance plan, not just a price comparison. Seven Ocean tracks the Framework and can advise on availability and documentation of lower-carbon grades at the ports where you bunker.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the IMO Net-Zero Framework in force?
No. Approved at MEPC 83 (April 2025), but the October 2025 adoption session was adjourned for about a year, resuming in late 2026. Until it is adopted and enters into force, nothing is payable.
Which ships would it apply to?
Oceangoing ships above 5,000 GT. Extending it to ships between 400 and 5,000 GT is under discussion.
How much would the carbon price be?
As approved, for 2028–2030: about USD 100 per tonne CO₂e between the direct-compliance and base targets, and about USD 380 per tonne CO₂e above the base target. Subject to adoption and later review.
How does it relate to EU ETS and FuelEU?
Those are regional EU measures already in force; the IMO Framework would be global. A voyage touching Europe could be exposed to both, so the interaction is being watched closely.
When would ships actually start paying?
The approved text points to a first compliance period from 2028, roughly 16 months after adoption. Because adoption slipped, these dates could move. We update this page as the position becomes clear.