NEWS
CAPPA, 68 NGOs Urge IMO to Exclude Biofuels from Global Fuel Standard

From Sylvia Udegbunam, Enugu
Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) and 68 other international nongovernmental organisations have warned the United Nations International Maritime Organization (IMO) against promoting biofuels as Global Fuel Standard (GFS) and an alternative to petrol in international shipping, saying it threatens rainforests and communities in host countries.
CAPPA in a statement by the media and communication Officer, Robert Egbe said that “The NGOs, in an open letter to the IMO Secretariat on February 17, 2025, called on the IMO’s 176 Member States to oppose the promotion of biofuels in international shipping and commit to a future powered by clean energy.
They stressed that the design of the Global Fuel Standard should be based on stringent life cycle assessment guidelines that exclude the use of biofuels while protecting the climate, the environment, and the livelihood of people.
According to the IMO, the Global Fuel Standard is a technical measure to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from ships and to help meet the IMO’s decarbonization targets.
The letter comes ahead of the IMO’s finalisation of its negotiations on key climate laws for international shipping, at a series of meetings in London.
The discussions will determine which fuels and technologies will power this sector, to limit shipping’s harmful environmental impacts and achieve its historic climate commitment.
According to the organisations, shipping consumes a massive 5 percent of global oil production – more than any single country outside China and the US. However, some countries and companies are quietly planning to set rules that aim to replace most of this huge fossil fuel demand with biofuels.
“This risks causing even more climate and environmental damage than oil, not less,” the NGOs warned, adding that the IMO’s 176 member states “must exclude biofuels from the industry’s energy mix, due to their devastating impacts on climate, communities, forests and other ecosystems. These impacts include land and water grabbing, loss of food sovereignty, threats to food security, and widespread ecological harm. Instead, the IMO needs to prioritise real solutions for shipping, with clear policy incentives, including demand reduction and efficiency improvements.
“In July 2023, the IMO adopted the Revised GHG Strategy committing to net-zero GHG emissions by around 2050. One of the key policies to achieve this target is the Global Fuel Standard (GFS), which aims to incentivise the use of clean energy on ships, which the IMO promised to finalise in April 2025. Allowing the use of biofuels under the GFS would jeopardize the very goals the IMO seeks to achieve.”
The letter called out the Brazilian government, which will host the next United Nations Climate Conference (COP30) in Belém in November, as one of the key IMO members pushing for the uptake of biofuels in shipping as part of plans to increase the global market for its expanding biofuel industry.
CAPPA, Global Justice Ecology Project, Biofuelwatch, National Farmers Union (Canada), Earthjustice International, Proyecto Lemu (Argentina), Australian Forests and Climate Alliance, and the other signatories to the letter, noted that at the last round of IMO negotiations in October 2024, Brazil put forward biofuels as a long-term solution to power shipping but argued that this proposal would promote the use of unsustainable biofuels.
“Additionally, Brazil’s palm oil production is also expanding and has been linked to water pollution and large-scale land grabbing, much of it illegal. Now Brazil is looking at shipping as its next customer for biofuels, but the social and environmental costs linked to this market expansion would be catastrophic.
“Food- and feed-based biofuels are connected to deforestation, food insecurity, land and water grabbing and pollution from pesticides, all of which Brazil is already facing. Neighbouring countries are dealing with similar problems: recent studies show concern for the increased deforestation rates in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela due to the expansion of cropland for soy, oil palm, cocoa, maize, rice, and cassava (Richens, 2024).”
The letter referenced studies showing that the direct and indirect land use change impacts of biofuels from vegetable oils, especially from soy and palm oil exceed the life-cycle emissions of fossil diesel.
“Wastes and residues, including animal fats, are in limited supply and existing demand far exceeds their availability. Furthermore, many of those residues and wastes have high indirect greenhouse gas emissions, due to competition between biofuels and other uses.
“Communities in many countries of the global South, including Colombia, Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina, Indonesia, Malaysia or Cameroon, are already facing the consequences of vast and rapidly expanding monoculture plantations of oil palm, soy and other crops in demand for biofuels. This has devastating impacts on small farmers and indigenous communities, including effects on health due to the intense use of pesticides. We do not want to witness what could happen in those countries if biofuel production should escalate to meet the demand of such a giant – international shipping.”
Another consequence of the production of liquid biofuels, the NGOs, said, is that it risks exacerbating existing gender-based inequalities, and therefore contributing to the socio-economic marginalization of women, threatening their livelihoods and in particular their food security.
In conclusion, the groups said sustainable solutions for “De-carbonization of the shipping sector already exist. These include improved energy efficiency through stricter standards and innovative ship designs, and the adoption of advanced propulsion technologies like wind assistance. Reducing the volume of goods transported by sea is also a vital step to reduce the environmental impact of global trade.”
Foreign News
Israel Vows to Build Jewish Settlements, Rejects Macron’s Call for Palestinian State

“Do not threaten Israel with sanctions” as it will continue to build a “Jewish state” on the ground,” Israeli Defense Minister, Israel Katz, warned on Friday.He also rebuffed a call by French President Emmanuel Macron for establishing a Palestinian State.In open defiance of international law, Katz claimed that world powers may recognize a Palestinian state “on paper.
”Katz made the remarks during a visit to Sa-Nur, an illegal outpost in the northern West Bank that the Tel Aviv government recently decided to officially designate as a settlement for illegal Israeli settlers. In a direct message, Defense Minister Israel Katz targets French President Macron and European allies.He also dismissed the potential international consequences.He said: “They will recognise a Palestinian state on paper, while we will build the Jewish Israeli state on the ground.“Don’t threaten us with sanctions. You will not make us bow.“The State of Israel will not kneel before threats.”His comments came hours after President Macron stated that recognising the State of Palestine was a “moral duty”.Macron also reiterated that France may move toward official recognition during an upcoming international conference focused on the two-state solution.Earlier this week, Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported that the Israeli Security Cabinet had secretly approved the establishment of 22 new illegal settlements in the occupied West Bank.In response, the Israeli anti-settlement group Peace Now issued a statement Thursday, revealing that 12 of the newly approved settlements were previously unauthorised outposts and farming sites established in recent years.According to Peace Now, there are currently 156 illegal settlements and 224 outposts across the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, with over 736,000 illegal Israeli settlers living on occupied Palestinian land.The international community, including the UN, considers the Israeli settlements illegal under international law.The UN has repeatedly warned that continued settlement expansion threatens the viability of a two-state solution, a framework seen as key to resolving the decades-long Palestinian-Israeli conflict.In July 2024, the International Court of Justice declared Israel’s decades-long occupation of Palestinian land illegal and demanded the evacuation of all existing settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.(AA/NAN)NEWS
Stock Market Sheds N48bn Amid Sell-offs

The stock market on Friday closed the week on a bearish note, as key performance indicators dipped by 0.07 per cent.Specifically, the market capitalisation declined by N48 billion, or 0.07 per cent, to N70.462 trillion from N70.510 trillion recorded on Thursday.The All-Share Index also dropped by 0.
07 per cent or 76.07 points to close at 111,742. 01 down from 111,818.08 posted on Thursday. The decline was largely attributed to sell-offs in heavyweight stocks like Beta Glass, NCR Nigeria, Conoil, Legend Internet and 33 others.Also, the market breadth closed negative with 37 stocks declining against 28 gainers.On the flip side, Beta Glass declined by 10 per cent, closing at N232.65 while NCR Nigeria also lost by 10 per cent, finishing at N6.57 per share.Conoil dropped by 9.99 per cent, settling at N298.10 and Legend Internet fell by 9.94 per cent, closing at N6.16 per shareAlso, Industrial Medical Gases shed by 9.91 per cent, ending the session at N33.65 per share.On the gainers’ chart, Omatek grew by 9.86 per cent, settling at 78k while Red Star Express climbed by 9.62 per cent, closing at N8.32 per share.Deap Capital Management rose by 9.38 per cent, finishing at N1.05 and Sovereign Trust Insurance soared by 9.09 per cent, ending the session at N1.08 per share.May and Baker also increased by 8.26 per cent, closing at N11.80 per share.A total of 1.90 billion shares valued at N64.14 billion were traded across 18,653 transactions, in contrast to the 556.45 million shares worth N17.17 billion exchanged across 18,505 deals on Thursday.Transactions in the shares of United Bank for Africa topped the activity chart with 1.41 billion shares worth N49.02 billion.United Capital followed with 66.84 million shares valued at N1.32 billion while Access Corporation sold 53.97 million shares worth N1.19 billion.Fidelity Bank traded 31.38 million shares valued at N606.09 million and Zenith Bank transacted 29.93 million shares worth N1.46 billion. (NAN)NEWS
Customs Intercepts 39,425 Litres of Smuggled Petrol

The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Bashir Adeniyi, said Operation Whirlwind intercepted 39,425 litres of petrol worth ₦39.4 million within Lagos-Ogun axis. Mr Adeniyi disclosed this on Friday at a news conference in Lagos, organised following recent petroleum product seizures by Operation Whirlwind at the Federal Operations Unit, Ikeja.
Represented by the National Coordinator of Operation Whirlwind, Asst. Comptroller-General Hussein Ejibunu, Adeniyi said it marked another milestone by operatives in the Lagos-Ogun axis. He attributed the success to officers’ dedication, commitment and resilience over the past year within the zone. Adeniyi said the Office of the National Security Adviser, NMDPRA, and Attorney General’s office all commended Customs’ efforts in intercepting smuggled petroleum products. He said, “On May 23, we were in Yola for a similar exercise where over 46,000 litres of seized PMS were auctioned. “Today, we are conducting another auction following seizures made at Laro, Imeko, Badagry, Owode, Ajilete, and other flashpoints.” He added that investigations confirmed the petrol was intended for smuggling into Benin Republic. A total of 1,577 jerrycans of 25 litres each — amounting to 39,425 litres — were seized, along with eight vehicles used for transportation. Adeniyi stated that the seized petrol had a duty paid value of ₦39.4 million, and the vehicles were valued at ₦24 million, totalling ₦63.4 million. He reiterated that there was no safe haven for smugglers, and Customs would continue disrupting illegal activities to the barest minimum. The CGC directed that the seized petrol be auctioned immediately to Nigerians in 25-litre jerrycans at ₦10,000 each. He thanked strategic partners—ONSA, the Attorney General’s office and NMDPRA—for their unwavering support and cooperation. Adeniyi added that the success of Operation Whirlwind was due to strong collaboration with these agencies. “Since Operation Whirlwind began in 2025, Customs officers have not fired a single shot, and four suspects are currently facing trial,” he said. Comptroller Charles Orbih, Zonal Coordinator, Zone ‘A’ of NCS, reaffirmed the service’s commitment to protect Nigeria’s economy and ensure policy benefits reach all citizens. He noted that every litre smuggled across the borders causes revenue loss, scarcity, market instability and weakens energy security. “Operation Whirlwind, launched by the National Security Adviser’s office, proves Nigeria Customs is capable of defending and securing the nation’s borders,” Orbih stated. Comptroller Muhammed Shuaibu, FOU Zone ‘A’, commended Customs Management for the success achieved during Operation Whirlwind. He said the seizure was a joint effort by officers committed to combating smuggling and protecting the nation’s borders. He added that the seizure would help revive the economy, and Customs would maintain its focus on revenue generation and supporting legitimate trade. Mr Patrick Musa, of the NSA’s Lagos Zonal office (NMDPRA), said the operation proved Customs’ competence in border protection. He noted that NMDPRA, mandated with petroleum distribution, would continue collaborating with Customs and other agencies to stop petrol smuggling. Mrs Abidemi Aluko, representing the Attorney General’s office, appreciated the CGC, Customs officers and partner agencies for curbing petrol smuggling. “This is not business as usual. Suspects are currently under investigation for illegal petroleum dealings and will face trial,” she said. Quoting relevant laws, she stated the offence carries a sentence of life imprisonment or a fine, including forfeiture of transport means. “The Federal Government remains committed to prosecuting and bringing to justice those involved in petrol smuggling,” Aluko added. She called on sister agencies and stakeholders to strengthen collaboration to fight economic sabotage. In his closing remarks, ACG Kola Oladeji thanked the CGC for his leadership and enabling environment that contributed to the operation’s success. Oladeji urged officers to stay committed and intensify efforts to enhance national security. (NAN)