IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee convenes in London to discuss key ocean issues in International Shipping News 28/04/2026 IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez opened the 84th session of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 84), urging Member States to find convergence and make meaningful progress on the IMO Net-Zero Framework to cut global shipping emissions, and set an example of effective multilateralism. The meeting will cover a range of environmental issues, including actions to address: Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions from ships Energy efficiency of ships Ballast water management & biofouling Marine plastic litter Underwater radiated noise See the full transcript of the Secretary-General’s opening remarks below: “Good morning, distinguished delegates, Welcome to the 84th session of the Marine Environment Protection Committee. Situation in the Strait of Hormuz Before turning to the work of this session, and further to my briefing to Member States last Friday, I must once again address the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, which continues to be of grave concern. Thousands of seafarers remain stranded inside the Gulf on board vessels, exposed to significant risks and considerable psychological strain. They are victims of a situation with broader consequences for the global economy and food security. The longer this situation goes on, the greater the risk of serious accidents, including environmental accidents. The Council held an extraordinary session in March, reaffirming the respect for the freedom of navigation; the paramount importance of the safety of seafarers and shipping; the conviction that seafarers and shipping must never be used as collateral victims of any geopolitical conflict; and the importance of dialogue and diplomacy in de-escalating tensions. I wish to reaffirm that the IMO is the place for multilateral agreement on international shipping. This includes measures such as Traffic Separation Schemes in high volume straits between two or more Member States. I continue to engage with relevant stakeholders on this matter and I urge all parties to work towards de-escalation. Reduction of Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Energy Efficiency Turning to the meeting this week, a very important task this week is to find convergence to make meaningful progress on the IMO Net-Zero Framework for international shipping. I am pleased to see that many of you have used the time since last year’s extraordinary session wisely and productively. The submissions to this session, as well as the constructive discussions during last week’s ISWG-GHG 21, demonstrate a genuine commitment to address the concerns expressed at the extraordinary session and to move this work forward. I am confident the Committee is now in a better position to understand each other’s respective views, which will facilitate progress towards consensus on mid-term greenhouse gas reduction measures. In particular, I welcome the good progress on the guidelines supporting the technical element of the framework, notably the greenhouse gas fuel intensity, or GFI, regulating component. The work is not complete, however your work on the GFI Calculation Guidelines, together with the fuel certification and life-cycle assessment guidelines, provides a solid basis for further progress on globally harmonized reporting and will support practical and effective implementation. With regard to the economic element, I am encouraged by your continued efforts