Biofuelwatch, Forest Watch Indonesia and Global Forest Coalition have called on the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) to exclude biofuels from compliance with the Net-Zero Framework (IMO NZF).
Last week at MEPC ES.2 in London, countries postponed adoption of the Net-Zero Framework to 2026. However, key talks on clean energy incentives will continue from 20–24 October, with organisations urging that biofuels not be falsely promoted as a “green” alternative to fossil fuels.
As explained, decades of evidence show that indirect land use change (ILUC) emissions from crop-based biofuels – such as soy and oil palm – wipe out their claimed climate benefits, driving forest loss, food insecurity, and land and water grabbing as agriculture is displaced onto marginal or uncultivated land. Soy and oil palm-based biofuels can generate emissions even higher than fossil fuels.
"Biofuels are not a sustainable solution under any circumstances. In Latin America, the push for soy-based biofuels has accelerated deforestation and driven communities off their lands. If the IMO creates new demand for biofuels, it will unleash more emissions, more inequality, and more land grabbing." Said Jana Uemura, Climate Campaigner at the Global Forest Coalition.
Rejecting biofuels in the Net-Zero Framework means protecting the world’s remaining tropical forests – critical carbon sinks and biodiversity hotspots, said Anggi Putra Prayoga, Forest Campaigner at Forest Watch Indonesia, adding that the climate crisis is already real and it is crucial to take a firm stance on adopting truly zero-emission energy sources, rather than biofuels that generate new emissions through deforestation.
The example of Indonesia should be a warning to other countries. In Indonesia, the expansion of palm oil plantations for biofuel continues to drive deforestation – even within protected and conservation forests which are highly vulnerable to climate change, the campaigners’ statement noted.
Furthermore, to avoid these impacts, the IMO should make sure high-ILUC fuels are excluded in the Framework. Major national and industry frameworks, including the EU’s Maritime and Aviation policies, the UK SAF Mandate, and the International Civil Aviation Authority’s CORSIA scheme, already exclude or cap high-ILUC biofuels, or include ILUC emissions in the life cycle accounting. The IMO must not fall behind.
"We urge all IMO member governments to take a strong, united stance against the inclusion of biofuels in the Net-Zero Framework. Tthe science is clear: crop-based and waste-derived biofuels cannot deliver real emissions reductions. Governments now have a historic opportunity to steer the shipping sector toward truly clean, zero-emission solutions that protect people and the planet." Said said Pax Butchart, Biofuel Campaigner, Biofuelwatch.
Equally, biofuels produced from waste and residues such as used cooking oil (UCO), have limited availability and scalability, and won’t be able to satisfy the demand of international shipping in the long run.
Recent research estimates that while used cooking oil (UCO) will be the cheapest pathway for compliance, its supply is highly constrained and largely already used in the transport sector.
The global waste oil supply currently used for biofuels production could only meet about 5% of shipping’s energy demand, leaving the sector reliant on the next-cheapest compliance pathway, high-ILUC biofuels, with major sustainability risks.
UCO and palm derivatives, such as palm oil mill effluent (POME) and palm fatty acid distillate (PFAD), have been associated with fraud, weak auditing and risk displacement from their current use, increasing the use of unsustainable palm oil elsewhere.
"The IMO governments must now pursue truly sustainable alternatives, including improved energy efficiency, wind-assisted propulsion and reducing demand for maritime transport in international trade." the statement concludes.
