Global shipping is preparing to run on new fuels but the rules meant to enforce the shift are not yet finalized.

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) will resume its vote on the Net-Zero Framework on December 4, 2026, subject to final confirmation. Member states set that date at a May meeting in London, where they agreed to rebuild consensus. The framework pairs a mandatory fuel standard with emissions pricing: ships whose fuel emits too much greenhouse gas would pay penalties. It enforces the IMO's 2023 pledge of net-zero shipping emissions by or around 2050.

The positions remain far apart. In March, the US asked the IMO to drop the framework, warning of "dire economic consequences" for shipping, energy producers, and consumers. Japan wants softer emissions targets and changes that could end mandatory payments into the framework's fund. The fight began last October. Member states voted 57 to 49 to delay adoption for a year, after opposition led by the US. The draft had been approved in April 2025, a step short of binding adoption.

Ports are building anyway.

Singapore has awarded five-year licences to three methanol fuel suppliers, effective January 1. In Western Australia, Pilbara Ports and producer Yara Pilbara agreed in March to plan ammonia bunkering, or ship refueling, at the Ports of Dampier and Port Hedland. North Sea Port, spanning the Netherlands and Belgium, has confirmed through an independent risk assessment that its berths can handle liquefied natural gas, hydrogen, methanol, and ammonia.

Joel Moser, founder and CEO of climate tech company First Ammonia, said the industry is already investing as if the rules are coming. Speaking on the Earn The Right Podcast, he said: "The International Maritime Organization is moving forward with a process to impose what is essentially a global carbon tax on global shipping. Most of the major shipping companies, shipbuilders of the world, are building ammonia-fueled vessels."

The new fuels also bring new risks. "Petroleum fuels are flammable, hydrogen's explosive, ammonia's toxic. They all have issues around their use," Moser said. On ammonia, he added: "The safety protocols, both on board and in port, are being developed currently, and safe handling is very important."

Ports, shipowners, and fuel suppliers are committing capital ahead of the vote. Much of that infrastructure will remain in service for decades.