Negotiations at the IMO have drawn a blank for the third meeting in a row, as US and Saudi-led efforts to scupper progress were successful, said Transport & Environment (T&E).
With delegates from vulnerable countries highlighting the tragic cost of this year’s climate disasters, action is far too slow, warns T&E.
While negotiators, including the EU, signalled openness to compromise measures such as avoiding a centralised fund and weakening greenhouse gas targets, US and Saudi negotiators largely held their ground.
“The continued failure to find an ambitious common ground not only puts shipping off course to decarbonise, but locks fossil fuel importing states and the shipping industry into continued dependency. During the Hormuz crisis, dependence on oil cost the industry roughly €340 million a day,” according to T&E estimates.
The next major IMO meeting takes place from November 30 to December 3.
Alex Springer, interim shipping director at T&E, said: “After a summer of heatwaves, droughts and record sea temperatures, the failure of states to get close to a credible deal is deeply disappointing. It leaves global shipping increasingly adrift of where it needs to be. Governments should push forward with ambitious regional measures and must not wait for a global agreement before taking action.”
In accordance with UCL Shipping and Oceans Research Group, the IMO’s 22nd Intersessional Working Group on GHG emissions has concluded with significant majority of member states (two thirds of those who took the floor) supporting a centralised system for collecting revenues, operationalized through a GHG price (RU price), and disbursing it for rewards for early adopters and supporting a just and equitable transition.
The group of member states focused on a technical-only solution and abandonment of GHG pricing, remained small and consistently composed of strongly fossil fuel aligned governments.
The Clean Shipping Coalition welcomed broad support by member states for the Net-Zero Framework (NZF), but criticised attempts by a minority of states to undermine it with ‘alternative proposals’ and called for its adoption at December’s Marine Environment Protect Committee.
“Alternative proposals to the Net-Zero Framework are neither necessary nor useful – the IMO has already committed to a strategy, approved a regulatory framework that can deliver it, and scheduled its adoption for later in the year,” said Lukas Leppert, president of the Clean Shipping Coalition. “While not entirely aligned with the levels of ambition in the IMO 2023 GHG Strategy, the NZF is a long-negotiated compromise that brings together a multitude of interests and positions and is supported by a broad majority. We consider the NZF an important step forward and one that can be built on to become more progressive in the future.”
The Intersessional Working Group on Reduction of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions from Ships (ISWG-GHG 22) met for its 22nd meeting from 1-4 September 2026. The meeting had a high level of participation, with nearly 1200 registered participants (in person and online).
The next meeting of the Intersessional Working Group on Reduction of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions from Ships (ISWG-GHG 23) is scheduled for 23 to 27 November, ahead of MEPC 85 from November 30 to December 3.
The second extraordinary session of MEPC that was adjourned last October is scheduled to resume on December 4, subject to discussions at MEPC 85.
