22 April 2026

The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has set an ambitious goal: achieving net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050. To get there, the maritime industry needs to make some drastic changes. Enter: the Net-Zero Framework, a set of regulatory guidelines and requirements proposed by IMO to accelerate the adoption of zero or near-zero GHG fuels, technologies and energy sources in shipping. Here’s what you should know.

NZF in a nutshell

• The NZF uses a technology-neutral approach. Performance is assessed based on GHG Fuel Intensity (GFI), a life-cycle measure of GHG emissions per unit of energy consumed onboard, expressed in gCO2eq/MJ. This includes electricity supplied to vessels, wind-assisted propulsion, and solar power, and is supplemented with sustainability criteria.
• Annual GFI requirements are divided into two levels: a Base target and a stricter Direct Compliance target. Ships must meet the Direct Compliance target through one of three methods: reducing their actual GFI, purchasing Remedial Units (RUs) from the IMO Net-Zero Fund, or obtaining Surplus Units (SUs) transferred from other vessels.
• Each vessel determines an annual compliance balance by comparing its attained GFI against the targets. Vessels performing better than the Direct Compliance target receive SUs. Those failing to meet this target accumulate compliance deficits.
• Whilst the regulations received approval at MEPC 83 in April 2025, the NZF has not yet entered into force. Additional guidelines require development, and alignment between parties continues. Meetings are scheduled to resume in 2026, which postpones implementation to 2028 at the earliest.
• The framework will apply to ships over 5,000 GT engaged in international trade.

The cost of compliance

While the environmental gains of going net-zero are invaluable for our planet, it does require significant investments from the maritime industry. Implementation of the NZF will affect shipping costs across several areas:

• Low-emission fuels are significantly more expensive, increasing operational costs
• The acquisition of RUs and SUs to meet the target results in high compliance costs
• Considering the long lifespans of vessels, fleet updates and capital investments into new technologies are often required
• As NZF requires continuous data verification and transactions with the IMO GFI Registry and Net-Zero Fund, administrative costs may increase.

The Global Centre for Maritime Decarbonisation has developed a calculator providing some interesting insights for ship owners, fleet managers or other stakeholders assessing fuel options, planning newbuilds, or seeking to understand the operational implications of the NZF.

How Bogerd Martin can help

It’s clear that the Net-Zero framework is data-centric, and that correct reporting requires clear insights into all GHG emissions. Besides offering advanced technologies that help vessels reduce their emissions, such as smart voyage planning add-ons, Bogerd Martin provides digital tools and software like CT Insights that help shipping companies track and verify emissions data, calculate compliance balances, and share data across operational and commercial functions.

Take one step ahead in preparing for IMO’s upcoming NZF.
Contact us at sales@bogerdmartin.com to discuss how our solutions can support your compliance requirements and data management needs.