The Ghana Chamber of Shipping has described the International Maritime Organisation’s (IMO) decision to delay the adoption of its Net-Zero Framework (NZF) by one year as a prudent and necessary step that aligns with its earlier call for a pause to assess the policy’s potential impact on developing economies such as Ghana.
At the IMO’s recent extraordinary session in London last week, member states voted to postpone the final decision on the NZF until late 2026.
The framework, which seeks to reduce emissions from international shipping through the setting of carbon intensity targets and a compliance mechanism, had been expected to enter into force in March 2027.
The delay follows growing concerns among developing countries about the economic implications of the proposed measures and the absence of clear guidelines for implementation.
Two weeks prior to the vote, the Ghana Chamber of Shipping had released a position paper warning that immediate adoption of the NZF would expose Ghana’s fragile, import-dependent economy to “yet unquantified economic impacts” without sufficient clarity on the pathways for mitigating those impacts.
The Chamber argued that the country’s largely ageing shipping fleet, low level of ship ownership, and limited alternative fuel capacity left it ill-prepared to meet the framework’s requirements.
Reacting to the outcome of the IMO vote, Stanley R. K. Ahorlu, a maritime lawyer and President of the Ghana Chamber of Shipping, said the decision “reflects reasoned restraint rather than delay.”
He noted that while some may view the postponement as a setback to global decarbonisation, for developing maritime states it represents “an opportunity to secure fairness before committing to long-term obligations.”
“For those who supported adoption now rather than later, the legal maxim ‘justice delayed is justice denied’ may resonate clearly,” Ahorlu said.
“But another equally important maxim—‘Fiat justitia et ruant coeli,’ meaning ‘let justice be done though the heavens fall’—captures the decision taken by many African states on this matter. We cannot simply ignore concerns around climate justice and equity in our quest to reduce emissions from shipping,” he added.
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Concerns
The Chamber’s position paper had urged Ghana to refrain from voting for the framework until a detailed economic impact assessment was undertaken.
It also warned that Ghana risked paying higher freight costs as shipping companies passed on new carbon charges, and that the framework’s technical and financial requirements could render much of the country’s existing fleet stranded.
According to the paper, Ghana’s beneficial ship ownership accounts for only 0.03 percent of global tonnage, meaning it would benefit little from the NZF’s reward mechanism for compliant shipowners.
It further argued that the disbursement criteria of the Net Zero Fund, which is expected to finance fleet renewal and training, were yet to be developed, with the lack of clear line of sight to funds potentially leaving African operators at a disadvantage.
The Chamber also highlighted that Ghana forecasts show that by 2030, it was unlikely that Ghana would be able to produce even a third of the alternative fuels (biofuels or methanol) that its national fleet would require under the framework’s fuel transition rules, making the country’s near-term compliance technically challenging and financially costly.
Reassessment
The IMO’s postponement is seen by maritime analysts as a signal that the organization intends to address these concerns more comprehensively.
During the next year, working groups are expected to finalise operational guidelines on the framework including the zero and near-zero fuel lifecycle analysis, food security, and the Net Zero Fund; the latter being critical for determining eligibility criteria for accessing funding, as well as the approach to compensating economies facing disproportionate negative impacts from the implementation of the NZF.
Ahorlu said Ghana should use the intervening period to strengthen its policy and institutional capacity.
“While the pace may appear slow, the wheels of (climate) justice turn slowly but grind exceedingly fine,” he said, adding that Ghana must not waste the window of opportunity to develop a national decarbonisation roadmap.
Industry observers agree that the delay could benefit Ghana if properly used as it offers policymakers time to evaluate how the NZF will affect trade, shipping costs, and the country’s competitiveness, while also exploring opportunities in seafarer training and fleet modernisation.
However, the Chamber cautioned that the country should also prepare diplomatically to engage with the IMO process to shape the final rules.
The IMO’s decision follows mounting pressure from several developing countries and trade associations that had questioned whether the NZF, in its current form, sufficiently reflected the principle of “common but differentiated responsibilities” under the Paris Agreement.
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