Travlou: IMO's goal of zero emissions in shipping by 2050 is unattainable

The president of the Greek Shipowners' Association, Melina Travlou

One of the clearest and most resounding messages that Greek shipping has sent in recent years about the green transition was sent by the president of the Greek Shipowners' Association, Melina Travlou , from Posidonia 2026. With an intervention that reflects the strategic position of the Greek shipping industry, the HSA clarified that it supports the decarbonization of shipping, but considers the proposed framework of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to achieve zero emissions by 2050 to be unfeasible and incorrectly designed.

The position of the EEE does not question the need to reduce emissions nor the strategic objective of environmental sustainability. On the contrary, it questions the possibility of implementing policies that do not take into account the real technological and production potential of alternative zero-emission fuels of the international industry. As Ms. Travlou argued, shipping was “dragged away” by the particularly ambitious European agenda for climate neutrality, resulting in the adoption at international level of targets that are not in line with the current availability of alternative zero-emission fuels.

According to the analysis presented by the President of the Greek Shipowners' Association, the European Union promoted regional measures to reduce emissions, which prompted the international shipping community to seek a global solution through the International Maritime Organization (IMO). However, this process led, as the Greek Shipowners' Association estimates, to the adoption of a decarbonization framework with a horizon of 2050, which Ms. Travlou directly described as "unfeasible".

She recalled that shipping is responsible for only 1.6% of global greenhouse gas emissions and argued that achieving environmental goals cannot rely solely on imposing financial burdens on a sector that is the backbone of global trade.

Criticism of the revenue-generating nature of the measures

The most important point of the EEE's intervention concerns the way in which the new IMO mechanism, known as the IMO Net Zero Framework, was designed.

"While there was a proposal on the table, which was generally accepted by shipping, suddenly everything changed," said the president of the EEE and continued: "A proposal came, a regulation that is moving in a completely wrong direction. It would essentially turn the IMO into a collection agency. The billions that would be collected, no one had understood exactly where they would go."

As he revealed, in a discussion the Union had with the Secretary-General of the IMO, Arsenio Dominguez, it was mentioned that the revenues could be used to support poorer countries and small island states.

"I don't understand why shipping should take on this role," Ms. Travlou commented characteristically.

On the contrary, the EEE argues that the green transition should be linked to investments in new fuels, modern infrastructure and technological innovation and not to the creation of mechanisms that function primarily as tools for collecting resources.

The Greek intervention changed the balance

Of particular interest is Ms. Travlou's reference to the role played by Greece in the latest IMO negotiations.

According to the EEE, the Greek government’s decision to abstain from the crucial vote of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) in October 2025 was a turning point in the debate. This stance is considered to have sent a strong message to the international maritime community, given that Greece is recognized worldwide as the greatest maritime power.

Greek shipping estimates that this intervention contributed to the review of the framework by several countries and to the highlighting of the weaknesses presented by the initial proposal.

At the same time, Ms. Travlou highlighted the close cooperation between the Greek shipping community and the government, noting that Athens is fully aware of the strategic importance of shipping for both the Greek and European economies.

Towards a more realistic solution

Perhaps the most important element of the new position of the EEE is that it is not limited to criticizing existing proposals, but highlights the need to formulate a more realistic and applicable framework.

As Ms. Travlou stated at yesterday's press conference, new proposals from Liberia and Japan are now on the table, which are being examined as more balanced and technically feasible solutions. The Greek side is evaluating the positives and negatives of each proposal, maintaining an open channel of communication with all parties involved.

The fact that the IMO Secretary-General himself, Arsenio Dominguez, reportedly recognizes the impasse to which the previous process led is considered by the IMO as an indication that the international community is gradually abandoning one-dimensional approaches and moving in a more pragmatic direction.

For Greek shipping, the issue is not the abandonment of environmental goals, but the adoption of policies that can actually be implemented. And this was precisely the message that the Association of Greek Shipowners attempted to convey from the Posidonia: the green transition can only be achieved through realistic goals, technological progress and global solutions that will not undermine the functioning of international trade.

source: ot.gr

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