A new study by an international team of experts calls on the IMO to develop stricter global standards for sustainable marine fuel certification. The authors review existing schemes in the EU, US and Brazil and warn that without harmonized criteria, risks of greenwashing and climate non‑compliance in shipping will increase.
On September 9, 2026, a research paper released by a group of climate‑policy and marine‑fuel specialists urged the International Maritime Organization to establish clear global standards for Sustainable Fuel Certification Schemes in shipping. The study evaluates existing mechanisms, including the International Sustainability & Carbon Certification (ISCC), Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB), Brazil’s RenovaBio, California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard and the US Renewable Fuel Standard. According to the authors, these frameworks were primarily designed for road transport and general fuel markets and do not adequately address maritime‑specific risks such as full lifecycle emissions and impacts on the marine environment. They argue that IMO‑level rules are needed to ensure that fuels labelled “sustainable” in shipping genuinely deliver the claimed emissions reductions.
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