Failure to Reach International Climate Agreement for Shipping
Efforts to finalize an international climate agreement for the shipping industry have failed. This became clear after several countries supported a postponement during the decisive IMO meeting in London today.
“This is a serious setback for international climate efforts in shipping. The IMO NZF is important to ensure global regulation of emissions. The fact that it was not adopted now is deeply disappointing, and we expect member states to use the coming year to find a solution,” says Knut Arild Hareide, CEO of the Norwegian Shipowners’ Association.
The IMO NZF, or Net-Zero Framework, is designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in shipping through a combination of requirements for lower fuel intensity and a global price on emissions. The revenues are to be returned to the industry through support schemes for zero- and near-zero emission solutions and contribute to a just and inclusive transition.
Several key countries, including the United States, actively worked against the adoption. As a result, the extraordinary IMO meeting ended without agreement on the new climate framework. The vote has been postponed until autumn 2026.
Calls on Member States to Take Responsibility
The Norwegian Shipowners’ Association has long been a strong advocate for global solutions over national and regional special regulations. The association now calls on IMO member states to take responsibility and ensure the framework is adopted in a year.
“We urge all member states to make good use of the coming year. It is crucial to find necessary compromises and ensure that the proposal is actually adopted next time. The world needs a fair and predictable framework for shipping. The postponement makes it harder to plan investments and slows down the pace of the green transition,” says Hareide.
Shipping Needs Predictability
There is also great disappointment among shipping companies that the framework was not adopted.
“A global regulatory framework is the most important tool we can get to ensure fair competition and bring the entire industry along. The postponement means we are still without the necessary predictability in a decisive decade for climate action,” says Harald Fotland, President of the Norwegian Shipowners’ Association and CEO of Odfjell SE.