Landmark global shipping deal abandoned under US threats

In a dramatic conclusion on Friday, when countries should have been voting to approve the deal, Saudi Arabia tabled a motion to adjourn the talks for a year.

The chairman said this would mean that the agreement was not approved, as key timelines for the treaty would have to be revised.

The motion passed by just a handful of votes.

Hon. Ralph Regenvanu, Minister for Climate Change for the Republic of Vanuatu, said Saudi Arabia's motion was "unacceptable given the urgency we face in light of accelerating climate change".

"We came to London in reluctant support of the IMO's Net-Zero Framework. While it lacks the ambition that climate science demands, it does mark a significant step," he said.

The shipping industry has been broadly supportive of the deal because it offered consistent global standards.

Speaking after the talks ended, Thomas Kazakos, secretary-general of the industry body the International Chamber of Shipping, said : "We are disappointed that member states have not been able to agree a way forward at this meeting."

"Industry needs clarity to be able to make the investments," he added.

The UK and most EU nations voted to continue the talks, but some countries including Greece went against the EU bloc and voted to abstain.

The countries that voted in favour of adjourning the talks included Russia, Saudi Arabia and the US.

Some key countries including China that had initially voted to support the deal in April agreed to delay proceedings.

Island states Bahamas, and Antigua and Barbuda also changed their position. A delegate Vanuatu told the BBC that these nations particularly rely on the US for trade and had been leaned on heavily by the Trump administration to change their position.