Shipping Levy Remains On Table At IMO Climate Talks

4 April 2025

A growing group of African, Caribbean, Latin America and Pacific Island (ACP+) climate negotiators kept universal pricing of shipping emissions on the table at International Maritime Organisation (IMO) technical talks in London on Monday and Tuesday this week. However, there are serious concerns about the fairness and transparency of the negotiation process.

More than half of member state interventions at the meeting backed a universal Greenhouse Gas (GHG) levy. Even so, the Working Group chair sidelined their views by refusing to recognise the majority in support of this critical mechanism, and chose to work on the basis of his own bridging proposal.

Undeterred, the ACP+ countries came together and in the spirit of collaboration put forward their own compromise proposal for emissions pricing, now reframed as the “Zero and Near-Zero (ZNZ) contribution”. This mechanism would generate stable and predictable revenues that we know are necessary to incentivise an equitable green energy transition in the industry, and will continue to form our basis for the way forward.

As the 83rd session of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 83) is set to reconvene next week, the ACP+ alliance maintains its firm position. Delegations continue to advocate for a Just and Equitable transition, emphasizing the need for an energy shift that aligns with the 2023 IMO GHG Strategy while ensuring no country is left behind.

The Group of ACP+ will continue to build on its proposed text to ensure the Chair’s proposed framing of the mid-term measures can deliver on the 2023 Strategy in full.

Negotiations formally resume on Monday April 7th.

Ambassador Albon Ishoda of the Marshall Islands, a lead voice for the 6PAC+ alliance, emphasized the stakes:

“The universal levy remains on the table, and that’s essential. There’s a growing bloc — especially partners from Africa, the Caribbean, Central America and the Pacific — that are closely united and focused on delivering ambition and equity for the Global South. But on equity, our voices are still being ignored, and I have real concerns that the current proposal being developed raises serious concerns — it risks failing the most vulnerable and leaving people behind.”

Minister Simon Kofe added:

“Tuvalu is here to be heard. The GHG levy is how the IMO lives up to its promise of leaving no one behind while phasing out fossil fuels in time to hold the line on 1.5°C.”

Minister Ralph Regenvanu of Vanuatu echoed this commitment:

“We have never been silent observers. Vanuatu is here to push for a global levy that phases out fossil fuels and empowers all nations to transition—fairly, urgently, and together.”

The session closed without consensus. While some developed countries, including the EU and Canada, expressed interest in compromise, others such as Brazil, China, and the UAE voiced concern over the Marshall Islands' draft. The UK indicated openness to parts of the

Pacific-backed text. The United States remained largely silent until the end, expressing concern about fairness and scope.

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