On October 27, 2026, civil organizations sent a letter to the IMO Secretary-General, Arsenio Dominguez. In this letter, they requested confirmation that decision-making regarding the handling of specific fuels under the carbon neutrality framework is dependent on member states and should be based on independent science.
Context of the IMO Secretary-General's Statements
This letter was sent following the Secretary-General's remarks about LNG at the annual Global Maritime Forum meeting in Shanghai on October 21, 2026. At this meeting, the Secretary-General discussed the benefits of LNG, which was reported in the media as “IMO Secretary-General Defends LNG.”
Read more: IMO Launches Blue Solutions Project to Reduce Maritime Carbon in Southeast Asia
IMO negotiations on the carbon neutrality framework will resume on November 23, 2026. The handling of individual fuels, including reward mechanisms and life cycle assessment (LCA) guidelines, is still under negotiation. In the common type of LNG marine engines, the average methane leakage has been measured at 6.4% of the fuel, which is nearly double the 3.5% that IMO assumes (ICCT, FUMES, 2024). Reports indicate that over a 20-year horizon, LNG offers no climate advantage, regardless of engine technology (ICCT, 2020).
Requests Made
The signatories of the letter have asked the Secretary-General to: 1. Confirm that his statements do not imply bias regarding conclusions about specific fuels, including LNG and biofuels. 2. Publicly state that the handling of fuels will be determined by member states and must be based on science-based LCA guidelines. 3. Ensure equal access to information and processes for all delegations, including any technical justification from the secretariat regarding fuels. 4. Focus the discussion within the framework of the IMO 2023 strategy aimed at achieving at least 5% and striving for 10% zero or near-zero emission energy by 2030.
On October 28, 2026, the Secretary-General's executive office announced receipt of the letter and stated that it has no comment at this stage.
Signatories of the Letter
The signatories of this letter include the following organizations: Clean Shipping Coalition, Equal Routes, Green Global Future, Maritime Beyond Methane (MARBEM), Naturschutzbund Deutschland (NABU) e.V, Ocean Conservancy, One Planet Port Foundation, Pacific Environment, Professional African Technical Network Advisory (PATNA) Initiative, Solutions for Our Climate (SFOC), Stand.earth, Transport & Environment (T&E), and Uma Gota no Oceano.
