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As the European association representing freight forwarders and logistics service providers, CLECAT supports the urgent need to decarbonise maritime transport and calls for a strong, effective, and globally coordinated response from the International Maritime Organisation (IMO). The upcoming negotiations must result in a robust international instrument that aligns with the EU’s climate ambition while safeguarding European competitiveness and operational fairness.

Freight forwarders are committed to enabling the green transition of the transport sector. However, the measures currently in development—such as a global fuel levy or pricing mechanism—risk undermining the incentive to decarbonise if poorly designed. The simple passing of compliance costs down the supply chain fails to drive the necessary transformation among carriers. CLECAT has already flagged, in the context of the EU ETS, that carriers have passed on 100% of ETS compliance costs to shippers through surcharges, often exceeding actual costs, with little transparency. Some ETS surcharges have been observed at €30/TEU on Asia–EU routes, while estimated actual costs in 2024 were only €7–10/TEU. Such practices not only distort the market but also risk turning environmental regulation into a profit model.

As the IMO moves toward global market-based measures, CLECAT calls for:

• A global fuel standard and pricing mechanism that incentivises change at the source among shipowners and operators
• Full transparency in the application and calculation of surcharges linked to decarbonisation;
• Accountability from carriers to support freight forwarders and shippers in their Scope 3 emissions accounting.

CLECAT supports EU instruments like FuelEU Maritime and the EU ETS, which create a framework for emission reduction through clear incentives. But their implementation must not result in carbon leakage, competitive distortions, or the displacement of port activities outside the EU. This is why a strong global IMO instrument is needed: to ensure that climate ambition does not penalise frontrunners regions. The risk of strategic re-routing or evasive port calls, as already flagged in early ETS implementation, will only grow unless global rules catch up. Therefore, CLECAT hopes that the upcoming IMO negotiations in early April will result in a timely and ambitious agreement. A global solution is essential to support real emissions reductions, maintain a level playing field, and ensure that the transition to zero-carbon shipping is effective, fair, and future-proof.