Conservation Groups Urge Governments to Reject Biofuels in Shipping Decarbonization Plans
Conservation Groups Urge Governments to Reject Biofuels in Shipping Decarbonization Plans
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International Shipping News
21/04/2026
As delegates convene today at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) headquarters for the 21st session of the Intersessional Working Group on Greenhouse Gases (ISWG-GHG-21), a number of conservation and environmental justice organisations – lead by Biofuelwatch and Global Forest Coalition – are issuing a call to member states to not allow biofuels to be counted as a green solution to shipping’s climate problem.
The group, representing organisations working across Latin America, Southeast Asia, Africa and Europe, warns that endorsing biofuels within the IMO’s decarbonization pathway would accelerate deforestation, drive land grabs, threaten biodiversity and deepen food insecurity in some of the world’s most vulnerable regions.
“Biofuels are being promoted as a climate solution for shipping, but the reality on the ground tells a very different story,”
LNG shipping stocks: First growth phase complete
LNG shipping stocks: First growth phase complete
in
International Shipping News
21/04/2026
The UP World LNG Shipping Index lost 6.33 points (2.79%) last week, closing at 220.61 points, while the S&P 500 gained 4.54% — its best week in a year — on ceasefire optimism and the opening of the Strait of Hormuz. The divergence is telling: good news for equities broadly is not necessarily good news for LNG shipping. The UPI has concluded its first growth phase of the year, with gainers outnumbering decliners 7:13 and a median change of -1.46%.
China Flexes Energy Leverage As the Philippines, US Start Annual War Games
Members of the Philippine Coast Guard stand alert as a Chinese Coast Guard vessel blocks their way to a resupply mission at Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea, March 5, 2024. REUTERS/Adrian Portugal/File Photo
China Flexes Energy Leverage As the Philippines, US Start Annual War Games
Reuters
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April 21, 2026
By Joe Cash
BEIJING, April 21 (Reuters) – China on Tuesday implied energy assistance for the Philippines could be tied to Manila holding military drills with the U.S. and other allies, as its top newspaper showed Beijing’s readiness to leverage its reserves in diplomatic disputes.
In an editorial headlined “The Philippines should create conditions for deepening cooperation,” the ruling Communist Party’s official People’s Daily accused the Philippines of hypocrisy for seeking the emergency supplies days before hosting
annual drills
involving more than 17,000 troops on a remote Philippine island near Taiwan.
China has the world’s largest strategic oil inventories
US Coast Guard Icebreaker ‘Polar Star’ Returns Home After Antarctic Mission
USCGC Polar Star escorts the motor vessel Stena Polaris, the largest fuel tanker ever to reach McMurdo Station, through the ice-covered Ross Sea during Operation Deep Freeze 2026, Jan. Pacific Air Forces operates on a 24-hour basis to provide the U.S. National Science Foundation complete joint operational and logistic support for Operation Deep Freeze.
U.S. Forces Board Sanctioned Tanker in Indo-Pacific as Iran Crackdown Expands Beyond Hormuz
forces board the stateless tanker Tifani (IMO: 9273337) without incident inside the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command area of responsibility. Photo from Department of War video
U.S.
Shipping Traffic Through Hormuz Still Largely Halted
Luojiashan tanker sits anchored in Muscat, as Iran vows to close the Strait of Hormuz, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Muscat, Oman, March 7, 2026. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier
Shipping Traffic Through Hormuz Still Largely Halted
Reuters
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April 21, 2026
LONDON, April 21 (Reuters) – Shipping traffic through the
Strait of Hormuz
remained broadly halted on Tuesday with only three ships passing the waterway in the past 24 hours, shipping data showed.
A U.S. blockade of Iranian ports has infuriated Tehran, prompting it to maintain its own restrictions on the strait, which had been typically handling roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas supply.
The Ean Spir products tanker, which had no known flag or known ownership, sailed through Hormuz on Tuesday after previously calling at an Iraqi port, ship tracking data on the MarineTraffic platform showed.
The Lian Star cargo ship, which had no known flag or known ownership, also sailed through the strai
Strait of Hormuz traffic falls off sharply as ceasefire wobbles
Strait of Hormuz traffic falls off sharply as ceasefire wobbles
in
International Shipping News
21/04/2026
Eight vessels transited the contested Strait of Hormuz April 19, a drop of roughly two-thirds from the day before, S&P Global Commodities At Sea(opens in a new tab) said in an April 20 report.
Many ships approaching the strait turned back April 19, CAS said, in response to shots being fired at multiple ships and Iranian insistence that the narrow waterway was closed to commercial traffic.
At least 39 vessels moved toward the Strait of Hormuz to make an exit before turning back April 18. That includes the Sanmar Herald and Jag Arnav, two Indian-flagged tankers that were reportedly attacked by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps while attempting to exit the strait, the CAS report said.
“Some vessels reversed course near the Omani coast while others did so closer to Iran,” CAS said.
On April 18, 29 vessels had passed through the narrow waterway, including several LPG tankers, following c
Possible armed boarding, elevated piracy concern off Somalia
Possible armed boarding, elevated piracy concern off Somalia
in
International Shipping News
21/04/2026
A possible armed boarding of an oil products tanker was reported about 24.0 nm southeast of Xaafuun (Hafun), Somalia, at around 12:00 UTC on 21 April 2026. In the same wider area, a separate boarding of a Somali-flagged fishing vessel by eleven armed individuals was also reported yesterday, reinforcing concern that the incident fits an active piracy-related threat pattern.
Key Points:
• Initial reporting indicates a possible boarding by armed intruders onboard an oil products tanker at approximately 10°03’N 051°27’E, around 24.0 nm southeast of Xaafuun (Hafun), Somalia. Authorities are investigating and no public confirmation has yet emerged regarding vessel identity, crew status, or final outcome.
• A separate security incident was reported at approximately 19:12UTC on the previous day, when eleven armed individuals reportedly boarded and took control of a Somali-flagged fishing vess
Singapore Maritime Week 2026 Opens, Celebrating 20 Years of Maritime Thought Leadership
Singapore Maritime Week 2026 Opens, Celebrating 20 Years of Maritime Thought Leadership
in
International Shipping News
21/04/2026
The Singapore Maritime Week (SMW) 2026 was officially launched today by Mr Jeffrey Siow, Acting Minister for Transport and Senior Minister of State for Finance. This year marks SMW’s 20th edition – reflecting two decades of convening global maritime leaders, shaping ideas and advancing the industry.
Organised by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), the annual event is taking place from 20 to 24 April this year, and brings together more than 20,000 participants from close to 80 countries and regions, including Ministers, senior government officials, industry leaders and maritime professionals. Participants will exchange views on shared challenges and practical pathways forward for international shipping.
At the opening ceremony, Mr Siow announced the launch of OCEANS-X[1], a new data and Application Programming Interface (API) eXchange platform
UN’s Maritime Agency Prepares Hormuz Evacuation Plan for Hundreds of Ships
Tankers are seen off the coast of the Fujairah, as Iran vows to close the Strait of Hormuz, amid the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran, in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, March 3, 2026. REUTERS/Amr Alfiky
UN’s Maritime Agency Prepares Hormuz Evacuation Plan for Hundreds of Ships
Bloomberg
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April 21, 2026
By Weilun Soon (Bloomberg) — The
International Maritime Organization
is working on an evacuation plan for hundreds of ships that have been stuck in the Persian Gulf since US and Israeli strikes on Iran began more than seven weeks ago, according to Secretary General Arsenio Dominguez.
The plan can only be put into action when there are clear signs of de-escalation, Dominguez said on the sidelines of Singapore Maritime Week on Tuesday. The United Nations agency would also need to ascertain if mines had been laid in the strait before sending ships through, he said.
“In order for us to do anything at all, we need to make sure that the conflict has come to an end, that there’s no