Environmental Groups Urge IMO to Block High-Risk Biofuels in Shipping’s Net Zero Framework

Leading environmental organizations have submitted a joint proposal to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) calling for measures to prevent the shipping industry’s expansion into crop-based biofuels that could threaten climate goals, natural ecosystems, and food security.

Pacific Environment, Environmental Defense Fund, Clean Shipping Coalition, and the World Wildlife Fund are urging the IMO to incorporate strict safeguards against high Indirect Land Use Change (ILUC) biofuels in the upcoming technical working group meeting (ISWG-GHG-20) scheduled for October 20-24.

“Crop-based biofuels have been portrayed for decades as a ‘climate friendly’ solution for the transport sector but are tied to deforestation, food insecurity, and land and water grabbing,” the groups stated in their submission.

The timing is critical as the IMO has approximately six months remaining to determine which energy pathways will contribute to shipping’s zero-emission transition as part of the Life Cycle Assessment guidelines to be finalized in April 2026.

By 2028, global shipping is expected to require around 11 EJ of energy, comparable to the European Union’s annual electricity consumption. Experts warn that without proper safeguards, the Net-Zero Framework could make biofuels the cheapest compliance option, with oil palm and soy likely to dominate despite their environmental drawbacks.

The organizations propose that the IMO should factor ILUC directly into lifecycle values, which would effectively exclude crop-based biofuels from ships. Alternative approaches include excluding or capping biofuels based on feedstock.

There are already precedents for such restrictions. The EU’s FuelEU Maritime, ReFuelEU Aviation, and the UK SAF Mandate all exclude food and feed-based biofuels, treating them like fossil fuels. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) includes ILUC emissions as part of their well-to-wake life cycle assessments.

The submission encourages IMO Member States and international organizations to provide concrete proposals on incorporating quantitative metrics into a risk-based ILUC framework and establishing safeguards against high-ILUC risk feedstocks.

With palm oil plantations having grown 370% since 1990 and nearly half of that expansion occurring on high-carbon forests, the environmental groups emphasize that identifying and quantifying ILUC emissions is fundamental for recognizing the real impacts of these fuels.

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