Trump torpedoes international deal to reduce shipping emissions

US President Donald Trump's threat of sanctions has torpedoed international efforts to regulate shipping emissions, postponing a plan that would have curbed climate change by at least 12 months.

The International Maritime Organization (IMO), which comprises 176 member countries, voted on Friday to delay adopting the Net Zero Framework (NZF) plan, which was previously approved in April. The decision came after Trump warned countries that supported the measure, saying they would face US sanctions and visa restrictions.

Washington had made it clear it opposed the carbon tax aimed at reducing shipping emissions, but many IMO members remained committed to curbs on pollution. Despite this, Trump's social media post seemed to have an effect, with delegates voting in London to postpone proceedings on the matter.

The delay sets back plans to regulate shipping industry's contributions to climate change by a year or more and leaves countries scrambling for clarity as they try to meet net zero emissions targets. Industry leaders expressed disappointment at the missed opportunity to make significant investments towards decarbonizing maritime transport.

Ralph Regenvanu, Vanuatu's minister for climate change, described the decision as "unacceptable given the urgency of accelerating climate change". In contrast, countries that opposed the measures like Russia and Saudi Arabia celebrated their victory.

The delay in the NZF plan marks a missed opportunity to establish a global carbon-pricing system, charging ships a penalty based on emissions. The framework aims to help the IMO reach its target of cutting net emissions from international shipping by 20 percent by 2030 and eliminating them by 2050.

I don't get why the US is being so stubborn about this climate thing... they're basically holding back an important plan that could've helped reduce air pollution from ships . It's crazy how a single tweet from Trump can sway whole countries' decisions . I mean, come on, we need to take care of our planet before it's too late... 12 more months might not seem like much, but trust me, every little bit counts . The fact that some countries are celebrating this delay just shows how messed up the global system is . Can't we all just agree on something?

I just don't get why countries can't work together on this stuff... I mean, climate change is a global problem, right? It's not like one country's pollution isn't affecting everyone else. But no, instead of working towards a solution, it seems like we're still stuck in "me first" mode. Trump's tantrum really did the trick, huh? I'm disappointed that more countries aren't standing up to him and saying, "Hey, we want to make a change." Instead, they just got caught up in the drama and lost sight of what matters. A carbon tax would've been a great start - now it's gonna take even longer for us to see real progress on this front... sigh

I'm like totally not surprised about this . It's all just a game, right? Trump's just trying to make the US look like it's doing everything it can for climate change, when in reality it's just more about protecting those big shipping companies and industries that are really dirty polluters . And now with this delay, it's gonna be even harder for other countries to make progress on reducing emissions. I mean, what's the real motive here? Is it just about jobs and profits or is there something more going on?

ugh I'm literally shaking with rage over this ... how can one person's ego & tantrums just ruin everything? the US is supposed to be a leader in the fight against climate change, but instead they're just caving to Trump's petulant self-interests . and now what? all those countries who were so close to making real progress are left scrambling like headless chickens . 12 months might not seem like a lot, but when you're talking about curbing climate change, every little bit counts ... I just can't even believe the IMO's decision to delay this plan is down to Trump's tweets . what's the point of even having an international organization if one person's ego is going to dictate its policies?

omg what's going on think the us is really trying to screw up global efforts to combat climate change they're like literally putting their own interests above the planet's i mean what's the point of having a global carbon-pricing system if you're just gonna cancel it? https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-62563738

omg what's going on with those shipping emissions this delay is gonna have major consequences for our planet idk how trump's tweet affected the vote but clearly it worked lol anyway, i think it's super frustrating that countries like russia and saudi arabia got to celebrate their 'victory' while others are just trying to meet those net zero emissions targets

and can we talk about how this decision sets back our progress towards decarbonizing maritime transport by a year or more? 12 months might not seem like a lot but trust me, it adds up the industry leaders were so disappointed and i don't blame them they really wanted to make some serious investments in reducing emissions

what's going on is just not good for the planet I mean, I get it, politics & all that, but can't we just work together to solve some of these global problems? The US just cost the world a chance to make some real progress on reducing emissions from shipping...12 months?! That's like, forever in climate change years Industry leaders are already saying they're going to have to scramble for clarity and meet those net zero targets anyway. It's not like it was gonna be easy but still, you'd think some sort of global cooperation would be possible?

this is so predictable trump's ego getting in the way of progress again... who does he think he's kidding, trying to strong-arm everyone with sanctions? it's all about saving face for him, not about making a real difference on climate change. and now we're left with more emissions and less time to do something about it... 12 months is nothing in the grand scheme of things. can't these countries just get along and work together to solve this problem?

Ugh, what's wrong with these countries? Can't they see we're drowning in climate change already? Sanctions are just gonna push it under the rug. I mean, who needs progress when you can just play politics and gain some votes? Russia and Saudi Arabia think winning at all costs is worth losing for everyone else?

This is such a bummer! I was really rooting for those climate change plans to move forward ASAP, but Trump's interference has kinda derailed things. I mean, who needs politics in our international conversations about the planet? Can't we just agree to make some changes for the greater good? It's disappointing that Russia and Saudi Arabia were all like "yay us" while Vanuatu was stuck saying it's unacceptable. The delay is gonna give countries a hard time figuring out how to meet their net zero emissions targets on time. This just highlights why the US needs to get its act together when it comes to climate change, 'cause right now they're holding back progress everywhere!