Leading environmental organisations have come together to present a joint proposal to the International Maritime Organisation (IMO). They’re calling for action to prevent the shipping industry from expanding into crop-based biofuels, which could jeopardise climate goals, disrupt natural ecosystems, and threaten food security. The groups involved, Pacific Environment, Environmental Defence Fund, Clean Shipping Coalition, and World Wildlife Fund, are urging the IMO to implement strict safeguards against high Indirect Land Use Change (ILUC) biofuels during the upcoming ISWG-GHG-20 technical working group meeting set for October 20-24, reports gCaptain.
Climate and Food Security Risks
“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.
The timing is crucial, as the IMO has about six months to decide which energy pathways will contribute to shipping’s zero-emission transition under the Life Cycle Assessment guidelines to be finalised in April 2026.
Growing Energy Demand in Shipping
By 2028, global shipping is projected to need about 11 EJ of energy, which is roughly equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of the European Union. Experts caution that without adequate safeguards, the Net-Zero Framework might make biofuels the most affordable compliance option, with oil palm and soy likely to take the lead despite their environmental issues.
Proposed Measures by Environmental Groups
The organisations are recommending that the IMO:
- Directly factor ILUC into lifecycle values, effectively ruling out crop-based biofuels for ships.
- Explore alternative strategies, such as excluding or capping biofuels based on their feedstock.
Precedents from Other Sectors
There are already examples of such restrictions in place:
The EU’s FuelEU Maritime, ReFuelEU Aviation, and the UK SAF Mandate all exclude food and feed-based biofuels, treating them similarly to fossil fuels. The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) also includes ILUC emissions in its well-to-wake life cycle assessments. The submission encourages IMO Member States and international organisations to come up with concrete proposals for integrating quantitative metrics into a risk-based ILUC framework and establishing safeguards against high-ILUC feedstocks.
Environmental Imperatives
With palm oil plantations having grown 370% since 1990, nearly half of that expansion occurring on high-carbon forests, the groups emphasise that identifying and quantifying ILUC emissions is fundamental for recognising the real impacts of crop-based biofuels.
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Source: gCaptain
