News / Disappointment at IMO after Net Zero Framework vote postponed for a year

This week’s extraordinary meeting of the IMO MEPC came to a disappointing but expected conclusion, as delegates voted yes to a Saudi Arabia-led spoiling motion delaying adoption of shipping’s Net Zero Framework (NZF) and prolonging discussions for a further year. 

Shortly after the opening, IMO Secretary General Arsenio Dominguez had the bearing of an irate schoolmaster as he chastised delegates following a torrid week of negotiations that were “not in the IMO spirit”. 

“I will be requesting… that the way we have negotiated this week doesn’t happen again,” he said.  

If brought into effect, this week’s IMO measure would not only have strengthened shipping industry regulations, but would also transportation’s carbon cost explicit through the introduction of a carbon price, and impossible to ignore for other industries. 

The US aimed to derail proceedings from the outset, starting with US Foreign Secretary Marco Rubio’s threat that the US would impose tariffs to punish countries voting. The US stepped up the offensive last week, adding visa restrictions on seafarers and draconian port fees as further penalties for nations intending to vote yes. 

“I am outraged that the International Maritime Organisation is voting in London this week to pass a global Carbon Tax,” Trump posted this week. “We will not tolerate increased prices on American consumers… or the creation of a Green New Scam Bureaucracy to spend your money on their Green dreams.” 

But it was Saudi Arabia that, during the morning session, tendered the motion “… to postpone the consideration of the adoption, yes or no,” and “… give this house an option to choose unity or division. We do not want to see a divided house.”  

The very thought…  

One incensed interjection by the Brazilian delegation claimed the vote had become a referendum on the IMO Net Zero Framework itself. “If we are choosing to adjourn this meeting for one year… it would mean basically all the dates that we have decided upon … would eventually need to be reviewed, which means that we would actually not be adopting these measures anymore. So basically, this would be saying no to the measures.” 

“That’s a logical conclusion,” responded IMO chairman Harry T Conway. 

“Delegates, we meet in one year’s time,” he said after the votes were counted. “There is no other business to be discussed.” 

Dominguez thanked the delegates and reaffirmed his faith in IMO staff. “They are very dedicated, and I hope you have noticed that,” he said.  

“I don’t have a lot to say to you right now. That doesn’t happen very often.  

“This was not a normal IMO meeting. For me there are no winners and losers in this session. It is the time to really look back at how we approached this meeting. Now you have one year to continue work, to truly talk to each other; negotiate.  

I would encourage all of you to reach consensus.  

My plea is not to repeat the way we have approached this meeting, in any other meeting at IMO. It doesn’t help the organisation, and it doesn’t help yourselves. Let’s not celebrate. Okay?”