The International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) proposed Net-Zero Framework (NZF) intended to reduce shipping emissions through fuel standards and pricing mechanisms was delayed in October 2025 for a year. This delay has created uncertainty for shipowners, investors, and engine manufacturers who require regulatory clarity to make long-term decarbonisation decisions.

Paradoxically, this uncertainty is accelerating interest in energy efficiency technologies (EETs). Measures such as wind-assisted propulsion systems (WAPS), which benefit from favourable reward factors under FuelEU Maritime, and readily deployable solutions like propeller optimisation are gaining attention. The anticipated expansion of ETS- and FuelEU-type schemes globally, together with growing customer pressure, is strengthening the business case for EETs. Collectively, these technologies have the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 40% by 2030, and many are already cost-negative. Yet despite their technical and economic attractiveness, adoption remains constrained by persistent structural and commercial barriers.

The first part of the forum builds on the “Green Ships” theme introduced at the HKUST 4 September 2025 forum, with a sharper focus on selected EETs and two critical enablers for scaling deployment:

• Innovative financing models to better align incentives between shipowners and charterers; and
• Robust measurement and verification of EET performance to support investment and regulatory confidence.

The second part of the forum turns to fuels and certification. Recent research indicates that global biofuel use for transport, dominated by food-based biofuels and primarily consumed in road transport, emits, on average, 16% more CO₂ than fossil fuels when indirect land-use change, deforestation, and associated greenhouse gas impacts are fully accounted for. Investigations launched by the EU and Indonesia further suggest that biofuel markets are highly vulnerable to fraud. These findings raise serious concerns that expanded biofuel use in maritime shipping, without stringent safeguards, could weaken or undermine climate policy objectives.

This session will provide:

• An overview of carbon certification from the IMO perspective;
• A discussion of biofuel and e-fuel certification schemes, including their strengths and limitations;
• Insights into the scientific and policy foundations of the EU’s fuel sustainability standards; and
• Advanced approaches to assuring fuel integrity beyond standard certification, including tracer deployment, fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) fingerprinting, and fuel quality testing.

The forum will conclude with a panel discussion exploring how a credible Well-to-Wake verification and certification framework could be developed, drawing on FuelEU Maritime and other jurisdictional approaches, while leveraging Hong Kong’s professional services expertise and Greater Bay Area linkages.

Disclaimer: The views expressed by speakers or moderator do not necessarily reflect the official policies of HKUST, supporting organizations or the sponsor, nor does mention of commercial practices or companies imply endorsement of HKUST, supporting organizations or the sponsor.

Notes:

1. Free Admission. Limited seats. Organizer has full discretion to limit registrants per company or decline registration. 
2. Shuttle bus service: to pick up the registered participants at Po Yap Road (the stop is located between the two exits of and just outside Tseung Kwan O MTR station). Please indicate whether you would use the shuttle bus service during registration and arrive before 8:15am when the bus will leave for IAS sharp. 
3. If you plan to drive, please provide your car plate number in the registration form for campus access and car park registration on the event day. 
4. The event will be video-recorded and uploaded to internet for global coverage.  Event details and the programme may be subject to change without prior notice.
5. All participants are welcome to stay behind in HKUST campus for lunch and networking. Some suggestion of restaurants will be provided later.