IMO to delay Net-Zero Framework vote for one year
THE International Maritime Organization voted on Friday to adjourn the extraordinary Marine Environment Protection Committee meeting for one year, keeping the future of shipping decarbonisation in limbo.
Countries voted 57-49 in favour of the delay after Saudi Arabia called a vote. Another 21 countries, including Greece and Cyprus, abstained, while eight did not attend.
EU countries voted against the delay, while Russia, China and big oil-exporting countries supported it. The Yes camp needed 54 votes out of 106 to win.
The motion to adjourn the meeting was one of several late bids on Friday morning to delay the expected crunch vote on adopting the Net-Zero Framework.
The room had been due to vote first on changing adoption rules, then on adopting the NZF Marpol amendment itself.
Saudi Arabia, which has lobbied hard to kill the carbon price, called for delay citing the level of division over carbon pricing.
But Brazil, which had pushed to hold the NZF vote without delay, argued the adjournment amounted to “saying no to the measures”, since all the dates in the NZF would need to be reviewed.
The IMO will still hold its intersessional meeting on greenhouse gas emissions next week, meaning delegates have an opportunity to continue talks on the details of the NZF.
But the delay puts the business case for green shipping investments in doubt, prolonging uncertainty for shipowners with fleets to renew.
IMO secretary-general Arsenio Dominguez asked delegates not to celebrate the outcome, which he said left no winners or losers.
Dominguez said they should learn from the result, work toward consensus and “come back fresh in one year ready to negotiate”.
“As we come to an end, my plea to you is not to repeat the way that we have approached this meeting,” he said.
“Be nice and kind to each other… It doesn’t cost much.”
Chaos last night turned into farce on Friday morning at the packed London meeting, with delegates unsure what they were being asked to vote on and in what order.
Singapore said the IMO needed more time to consider the NZF.
“We are at an important crossroads, choosing between unity and division,” it said.
Whether the extra year will change countries’ negotiating positions much is unclear, given the entrenched splits between those arguing for action on climate change.
International Chamber of Shipping secretary-general Thomas Kazakos said he was disappointed in the result.
“Industry needs clarity to be able to make the investments needed to decarbonise the maritime sector,” he said.
Transport & Environment shipping director Faig Abbasov said the outcome meant more uncertainty but also showed “a clear desire to clean up the shipping industry, even in the face of US bullying”.
“The world cannot let intimidation and vested interests dictate the pace of climate action,” Abbasov said.
Australian mining company Fortescue said: “After years of negotiation and broad international support, today’s outcome represents a lost opportunity for the world to take collective, decisive action on one of the hardest-to-abate sectors.”
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