Transport fuel’s day of reckoning
Gulf refiners wonder how to cope with new green standards for shipping and aviation fuel
A global clampdown on two of the most public scapegoats to the acceleration of climate change—shipping and aviation—is putting Gulf refiners' portfolios to the test. The International Maritime Organisation's (IMO) 0.5% sulphur cap on bunker fuels, set to begin from 1 January 2020, is followed by the International Air Transport Association's (IATA) Carbon Offsetting Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) from 2021. Both are milestones after decades of toing-and-froing between environmentalists and industry. As the Gulf is home to the world's second-largest bunkering hub, the UAE's Port of Fujairah, and is one of the world's fastest-growing aviation hubs, could a shortage of post
Also in this section
5 December 2025
Mistaken assumptions around an oil bull run that never happened are a warning over the talk of a supply glut
4 December 2025
Time is running out for Lukoil and Rosneft to divest international assets that will be mostly rendered useless to them when the US sanctions deadline arrives in mid-December
3 December 2025
Aramco’s pursuit of $30b in US gas partnerships marks a strategic pivot. The US gains capital and certainty; Saudi Arabia gains access, flexibility and a new export future
2 December 2025
The interplay between OPEC+, China and the US will define oil markets throughout 2026
