Stronger certification, chemical testing and digital transaction records are needed to prevent fuel fraud from undermining shipping’s decarbonisation efforts, according to a study released by Pacific Environment and Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore).
Published on 8 September, the research identifies weaknesses in sustainable fuel verification and recommends measures to improve traceability across international supply chains.
Commissioned by environmental non-profit Pacific Environment, the study was led by NTU Singapore’s Maritime Energy & Sustainable Development Centre of Excellence (MESD). It examines how existing certification systems could inform the International Maritime Organisation’s (IMO) development of global standards for Sustainable Fuel Certification Schemes.
The report, The role of sustainable fuels certification schemes in maritime decarbonisation, reviews International Sustainability & Carbon Certification and Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials schemes, Brazil’s RenovaBio, California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard and the US Environmental Protection Agency’s Renewable Fuel Standard.
These frameworks offer approaches to assessing full-lifecycle carbon emissions, tracing fuel ownership and addressing wider environmental sustainability requirements.
The study highlights documented fraud involving waste materials, including used cooking oil and palm oil mill effluent. Such cases expose the limitations of relying solely on paperwork without checks on physical origin.
It recommends chemical testing, or fuel “fingerprinting”, to independently verify authenticity, supported by stronger cross-checks. A centralised digital database recording all fuel transactions could also prevent suppliers from making multiple claims against the same batch.
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Lim Jie Ying, Singapore climate specialist at Pacific Environment, said: “Certification systems will play an essential role in ensuring that zero- and near-zero-emission fuels deliver genuine environmental benefits. As shipping scales up the use of these fuels, we need certification systems that are robust enough to guard against fraud and unsustainable production, while also being practical and workable across complex international supply chains.”
The researchers also examine indirect land-use change risks associated with fuel crops, including deforestation and the displacement of food production. They recommend that the IMO take a balanced, risk-based approach to capping or phasing out high-risk crop feedstocks to protect ecosystems and food security.
Dr Yeoh Keat Ping, the study’s lead researcher and Research Lead at MESD, NTU Singapore, said: “Strengthening the traceability of sustainable fuels through continued research and innovation will be critical in supporting the maritime energy transition. This requires a combined effort across policy formulation, laboratory validation, digital tools and shared industry knowledge. As traded volumes of sustainable fuels grow, these solutions must be robust enough to keep pace with an evolving landscape.”
For Singapore, Pacific Environment identifies opportunities to strengthen oversight of alternative fuels moving through Southeast Asia. It points to expanded training for local sustainability auditors and the adoption of fuel fingerprinting as measures that could improve supply chain integrity and support the country’s role as a trusted green maritime hub.
