Navaris’ point of view on why fragmented climate regulation is risky for smaller shipowners.

June 9, 2026

Our CEO Boy Sleddering was interviewed by Lloyd’s List this week on the growing debate around the IMO’s Net-Zero Framework and what it means for the smaller and mid-sized owners navigating compliance today.

Posidonia 2026 was a busy week for the NZF debate. A coalition of major Greek tanker owners, led by Maria Angelicoussis and backed by US-based open registries and the Greek shipping minister, launched a very public campaign against the IMO’s Net-Zero Framework, arguing it would harm economies while delivering little real climate benefit.

It made for a difficult week for companies in the green tech and compliance space. And it raised a question that matters a lot to us: what happens to smaller and mid-sized owners if the global framework falls apart and gets replaced by a patchwork of regional rules instead?

Lloyd’s List spoke to Boy about exactly that. His view is straightforward: fragmented regulation is harder, more expensive, and falls disproportionately on the companies that can least afford it.

Boy Sleddering, CEO of Navaris

“Ideally it’s global regulation, because the world doesn’t exist only of companies the scope of Mr Marinakis.”

That is the reality we work with every day. The owners we support are dealing with EU ETS and FuelEU Maritime requirements without the in-house legal teams or compliance departments that the biggest players can lean on. More regional rules means more paperwork, more penalties, and more complexity for the people who can handle it least.

Boy also pushed back on the idea that someone has to “win” this debate. A global framework requires compromise, and that is not a weakness.

Lloyd’s List spoke to Boy about exactly that. His view is straightforward: fragmented regulation is harder, more expensive, and falls disproportionately on the companies that can least afford it.

Boy Sleddering, CEO Navaris

“The best negotiation is that everybody loses a bit. That’s the essence of this. No one can win it, and no one should want to win it, because we have to stick together as an industry.”

Without that compromise, Boy warned, some players will lose very big while only a few survive. That is not a healthy outcome for the market, and it is not one we want to see.

The IMO reconvenes in October, where more clarity on the NZF is expected. We will be watching closely.

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