On Oct. 14, 2025, representatives from over 100 countries met in London to ratify the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Net-Zero Framework (NZF), a landmark treaty that would have required large ships to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Crafted by the IMO, the UN agency responsible for the “safety and security of shipping and the prevention of marine and atmospheric pollution by ships,” the deal was lauded by many in the shipping industry, and its final ratification was widely considered to be a formality.
But the October sessions ended without a ratified treaty.
On the session’s final day, Saudi Arabia filed a motion to adjourn the debate for one year. The motion passed 57 to 49, with pressure from the U.S. heavily impacting the vote. Now, the NZF cannot be ratified until October 2026 at the earliest.
In the wake of the setback, the IMO has promised to work towards building a consensus, and shipping industry insiders continue to advocate for global emissions standards.
Future efforts to ratify the NZF will likely face stiff opposition from the U.S. administration. That suggests that there is only one way to successfully ratify the agreement: Build a coalition that can withstand U.S. pressure.
Shipping as a Growing Source of Emissions
The treaty breakdown occurred in the context of increased emissions from the shipping industry.
Shipping currently produces one billion metric tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) each year, accounting for 3% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. This figure has been steadily rising as global trade increases. If current trends continue, shipping is projected to produce 10% of global emissions by 2050.
Large ships weighing over 5,000 gross tonnes produce the bulk of the industry’s emissions — an estimated 85%.
In addition to CO2, the heavy fuel often used by cruise ships and other large vessels emits black carbon, methane, and sulphur oxides, all of which harm marine ecosystems.
Reaching a Landmark Agreement
In April 2025, the UN’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) approved draft regulations to reduce the shipping industry’s greenhouse gas emissions.
The NZF agreement would have held large ocean-going vessels to higher fuel standards. Ships failing to meet those standards were to balance their deficit by acquiring “remedial units” — meaning they would have had to offset their emissions.
If approved, the NZF would have represented the first worldwide regulatory framework to impose emission limits and greenhouse gas pricing on an entire industry.
Photo Credit: International Maritime Organization
The Trump Administration’s Firm Opposition
After the successful passage of the draft regulations, many hoped the NZF would take effect by 2027. Sensing a spirit of collaboration, IMO Secretary General Arsenio Dominguez even closed the April meetings with praise for the group’s “collective efforts.”
But in the lead-up to the final vote in October 2025, the U.S. pushed strongly against the agreement.
The Trump administration did not just argue against ratifying the IMO Net-zero Framework. It also threatened to punish countries that voted for ratification.
In a joint statement, key U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, characterised the agreement as a “European-led neocolonial export of global climate regulations.” They also promised to “protect our economic interests by imposing costs on countries if they support the NZF.” These costs, according to the statement, could include commercial penalties and a lack of access to U.S. ports.
When the MEPC ultimately voted to delay the NZF’s ratification, Rubio’s threats seemed to have been the decisive factor. A source from the European Union is reported to have said that “many countries” changed their vote due to U.S. pressure.
After the NZF’s ratification was suspended, Secretary Rubio wrote on X: “This is another HUGE win… Our country will continue to lead the way and put America FIRST.”
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Industry Insiders Favor Global Regulations
The U.S. may consider the failed ratification to be a victory, but among shipping industry insiders, the reaction was less celebratory. Some are glad for the additional time for dialogue, but most agree that their real enemy is not environmental regulations, but uncertainty.
“We are disappointed that member states have not been able to agree a way forward at this meeting,” said Thomas A. Kazakos, Secretary General of the International Chamber of Shipping. “Industry needs clarity to be able to make the investments needed to decarbonise the maritime sector.”
Kostas Gkonis, the Secretary General of INTERCARGO (International Association of Dry Cargo Shipowners), said he appreciated that the adjournment would allow for further dialogue.
But unlike the Trump administration, Gkonis does not oppose an emissions deal altogether. He said he is looking forward to the adoption of “a regulatory framework that is realistic, practical, and globally workable.”
The shipping industry’s support for regulations could have a significant impact on future negotiations.
The Task Ahead: Overcoming U.S. Opposition
Despite the one-year adjournment, the IMO plans to keep working towards the NZF’s ratification. “Now you have one year,” said IMO Secretary General Dominguez to delegates after the vote. “You have one year to negotiate and talk and come to consensus.”
These negotiations are likely to take place amid sustained U.S. opposition.
The current U.S. administration’s anti-regulatory stance is largely ideological. U.S. President Donald Trump considers climate change to be a “scam,” and he has long opposed global climate measures. That leaves little hope that revised shipping guidelines would win the U.S. over.
Under these circumstances, the only way to ratify the NZF may be for IMO member nations to stand up to U.S. pressure. Advocates are already urging them to do just that.
Anaïs Rios of the NGO Seas At Risk called on countries to “rise up and come back to the IMO with a louder and more confident yes vote that cannot be silenced.”
For Alison Shaw, IMO Manager at the NGO Transport & Environment, the battle ahead is winnable. “[T]here is a clear desire to clean up the shipping industry,” Shaw said after the failed ratification attempt, “even in the face of U.S. bullying.”
The IMO has already committed to cutting the shipping industry’s emissions to net zero by 2050. Ratifying the NZF, even amid threats of U.S. retaliation, could be a major step toward getting there.
Editor’s Note: The opinions expressed here by the authors are their own, not those of Impakter.com — In the Cover Photo: A large cargo ship sails on the ocean. Cover Photo Credit: Venti Views
