Why we are consulting
Insights from the decarbonisation roundtables will help to:
- inform our policies
- focus response and operations capabilities to support maritime decarbonisation.
International shipping decarbonisation
The Australian Government, including AMSA, is actively engaged in the work of the International Maritime Organization (IMO). In 2023, the IMO adopted a revised strategy on reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from ships. The strategy sets levels of ambition to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from international shipping.
These include:
- reducing the carbon intensity of international shipping by at least 40% by 2030 (compared to 2008)
- zero or near-zero GHG emission technologies, fuels and/or energy sources to represent 5%, striving for 10%, of the energy used by international shipping by 2030
- to reach net-zero GHG emissions close to 2050.
In 2021, the IMO adopted a short-term measure to:
- reduce the carbon intensity of existing international ships
- meet the first level of ambition in the strategy – a 40% reduction of GHG emissions by 2030.
The next step is the establishment of the IMO Net-Zero Framework. This aims to reduce GHG emissions from ships globally as we work towards achieving the remaining levels of ambition.
Domestic maritime decarbonisation
The Australian Government has legislated an economy-wide target of reaching net zero GHG emissions by 2050. To deliver on this commitment, the government is developing roadmaps to reduce GHG emissions across all transport modes, including maritime.
This work is being led by the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts. AMSA is engaging in this work as Australia’s national maritime regulatory body.
Key dates
- 24 February 2025 – Roundtable 1 – Alternative fuels and energy
- 26 June 2025 - Roundtable 2 – Transitional arrangements to reduce maritime emissions
- November 2025 - Roundtable 3 – Alternative fuels and emerging technology
Have your say
Contact us at Environment.Standards@amsa.gov.au if you're involved in the shipping industry and you'd like to:
- have your say on decarbonisation
- register your interest in participating in future roundtable discussions.
Learn more about efforts to reduce GHG emissions in international shipping.