The International Maritime Organization has published a phased timeline for African-flagged vessels to meet its updated carbon intensity indicator targets, following representations from several regional registries that argued for a longer transition window given the age profile of much of the continent's coastal and short-sea fleet.
Under the schedule, vessels registered in participating African states will have additional reporting cycles before the strictest efficiency bands take effect, provided owners submit credible retrofit or replacement plans to their flag administration.
Shipowner associations in Ghana, Nigeria and South Africa broadly welcomed the extension while cautioning that financing for engine retrofits and alternative-fuel conversions remains the harder problem to solve than the compliance calendar itself.