Shipping emissions levy shelved as countries bow to US pressure

"US Pushes for Delay on Shipping Emissions Levy Amid Global Backlash"

The United States has successfully delayed the implementation of an international emissions levy on global shipping, marking a significant victory for its powerful fossil fuel interests. The decision, made after four days of intense negotiations at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) headquarters in London, will put off the plan to charge shipowners for their greenhouse gas emissions until next year.

Critics say that US pressure, including threats of tariffs and penalties, was a major factor in the delay. "Powerful fossil fuel states are successfully blocking global efforts to cooperate on climate change," said Dr. Simon Bullock, a research fellow at the University of Manchester. The move has been met with frustration from many small developing nations, who feel that the urgency of the climate crisis is being ignored.

The IMO had initially set the emissions levy as a way to reduce carbon emissions from shipping, which currently accounts for around 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions. However, the plan was met with resistance from countries including Saudi Arabia and Russia, which offered concessions in an effort to delay its implementation.

The decision has been hailed by environmental campaigners as a major setback for efforts to address climate change. "By delaying adoption of its net zero framework, the IMO has today squandered an important opportunity to tackle global shipping's contribution to climate breakdown," said John Maggs, of the Clean Shipping Coalition.

Experts estimate that the carbon levy could raise billions of dollars each year, but most of these funds would be retained by the shipping industry rather than being allocated to poor countries to help them cope with the impacts of the climate crisis. The delay will also create uncertainty and confusion for companies involved in shipping and global trade.

The outcome is seen as a victory for the fossil fuel lobby, which has been accused of "bullying" and "intimidation" by US officials. However, environmental campaigners are calling on governments to take action and rally support for the plan next year. As Anaïs Rios, senior shipping policy officer at Seas at Risk, noted, "No single flag should dictate the world's climate course." The planet does not have time to waste.

omg this is soooo frustrating i'm literally dying over here... how can we afford to delay on addressing our carbon emissions?! we need to take action now, not next year... what's the point of delaying if we're just going to keep pretending like climate change isn't real? and ugh, those fossil fuel states are just the worst they have no idea how their greed is affecting us all... i'm so glad there are still some people fighting for our planet's future

omg what's goin on ?! us is defo bullying other countries into delayin that emissions levy theyre more worried about savin their fossil fuel interests than actually helpin the planet i mean, cant we all just work together to reduce carbon emissions and stuff? it feels like the fossil fuel lobby is winin and everythin else is losin anyway, lets get back to rallyin support for that levy next year

Wow those fossil fuel interests are super powerful! Interesting how they're putting pressure on governments to delay this emissions levy... billions of dollars for the shipping industry but where's the cash going to poor countries?

️ Oh man, it's like the US is trying to take a giant leap backwards on climate change ... and they're being helped by their BFFs in fossil fuel land! I mean, who needs a carbon levy when you can just keep on shipping those greenhouse gases around the world ? The US must have some serious mojo to convince the IMO to delay this thing for another year . Meanwhile, those little developing nations are like "Uh, what about us? We're the ones getting cooked "! Can someone please tell the planet it's time to chill (out) on climate change?

I'm like totally bummed about this . I mean, come on, we need to take action on climate change ASAP and this delay is just gonna make things worse...or should I say, more expensive? They're putting off the emissions levy until next year, which means those big oil companies are gonna get a free pass for now. It's like they're saying "not my problem" . But honestly, it's not that hard to figure out how to make shipping companies pay their fair share. I mean, think about all the money we're already throwing at fossil fuels every year...why can't some of it go towards helping poor countries deal with climate change? It's just so frustrating, you know? We need to do better than this .

can you believe this? US is all about delaying the inevitable... and I'm not talking about their reality TV shows ! So seriously though, who knew shipping could be so polluting? 3% of global emissions from ships? That's like me eating an entire pizza by myself and blaming it on my cat . On a more serious note, this delay is gonna hurt small nations that need the cash to deal with climate change . The world needs to get its act together ASAP... or we'll be stuck in traffic jam of pollution

This is getting out of hand ! Like, I get it, fossil fuel interests are powerful and all, but can't we just make a move already? We're talking about the future of our planet here... 3% of global emissions from shipping might not seem like much, but think about all the tiny things adding up to make a BIG difference . And now this delay is going to cause so much uncertainty and confusion for people trying to make a living in this industry . It's like they're saying "we don't believe you" ... what, exactly are we waiting for? A magical solution to climate change just gonna magically appear out of thin air ? No way! We need to get moving on this ASAP .

I'm so worried about this I mean, come on, we gotta take care of our planet! Delaying this emissions levy is like, totally not cool . Those fossil fuel interests are just gonna keep on polluting and making things worse for everyone else. It's all about the benjamins, you know? Meanwhile, poor countries are already struggling to cope with the climate crisis . We need urgent action now! The IMO should be working towards a solution, not just letting fossil fuel states bully them around . It's time for governments to step up and take some real action!

u guys remember that thing about how we need to get rid of emissions from ships? well now it seems like the US is basically trying to delay everything and make sure those fossil fuel interests keep getting richer . i'm not surprised though, usa has always been super powerful when it comes to big oil . but seriously, what's the point of even having an emissions levy if we're just gonna put it off till next year? it's like, we know climate change is a thing and we need to do something about it, but usa keeps being all like "not me, not my problem" . anywayz, guess the fossil fuel lobby wins this round , but i'm still holding out hope that governments can come together and make some real progress next year

can't believe how fast they're killing the carbon levy plan it's like they're just making things worse for the environment... i mean, 3% of global emissions from shipping is still a huge amount! and now we gotta wait another year before anything happens? it's so frustrating when powerful countries just block progress for their own interests. shouldn't we be prioritizing the planet over profits?

so like, i gotta ask... how do we even know that the us was successful in delaying the emissions levy? didn't they just pretend to negotiate and then go back on their word? i mean, no sources or evidence to support these claims, just some vague statements from dr. bullock and john maggs. what's the actual proof that us pressure was a major factor in this delay? it seems like they're just making stuff up as they go along...

I'm so done with this news . It's like they're playing a big game of chicken with the future of our planet and shipping emissions just got a major speed bump . I mean, come on, it's not that hard to just make some changes and save the world from ourselves, right? The fact that fossil fuel interests are basically bullying everyone into doing nothing is just sad . We need to get our act together as humans and take responsibility for what we've done to the planet . It's not just about saving money or companies' profits, it's about the future of our children and their kids . I'm so tired of these power struggles and delay tactics . Can't we all just get along?

I'm all about those environmental efforts, but come on... A delay in shipping emissions levy? That's like pushing a giant boulder up a hill . I mean, we're already talking billions of dollars that could be spent on helping the most affected countries, and now it's just going to sit in some shipping company's pockets? Not cool.

And don't even get me started on the fossil fuel lobby winning this one . It's like they have a special deal with the devil himself, where they trade in their soul for a quick buck . I'm all for businesses making money, but not at the expense of our planet .

What's next? Delaying climate change discussions altogether? I think we're getting a little too comfortable with just talking about it and not actually doing anything about it . The IMO needs to get its priorities straight and focus on tackling the real issues here . We can't afford to waste any more time on this stuff!

I'm still surprised they delayed it . I mean, I knew the fossil fuel lobby was a powerful force, but this is getting ridiculous . They're just dragging their feet on addressing the climate crisis. It's like, come on guys, we need to take action now . The delay is just going to make things worse and it's not like they're doing anyone any favors by letting the big polluters off the hook . Small developing nations are already struggling to cope with the impacts of climate change, so this is just salt in the wound . And what's up with the funding? Billions of dollars for the shipping industry? That's not exactly a drop in the ocean . The planet needs real action, not just empty words .

I'm so frustrated with this news . It feels like we're taking two steps forward and three back when it comes to tackling climate change. I mean, come on, 3% of global emissions from shipping is still a massive amount of greenhouse gases being released into the atmosphere. We need to hold our governments accountable for making these kinds of decisions that benefit big business over the planet .

It's not like this is the first time we've seen fossil fuel interests get in the way of progress on climate change, but it's still disappointing. I wish environmental campaigners would keep pushing and rallying support for this plan next year . We need to make our voices heard and demand action from our governments. The planet does have time to waste – let's not waste any more time!

The US just delayed that emissions levy on global shipping by like 2 seconds . Meanwhile, the planet is still burning and it's like, what even is the point? I mean, I get it, the fossil fuel lobby has some serious clout, but can't they see how their "efforts" are literally destroying us? The whole idea of a carbon levy was supposed to help reduce emissions, but now we're just stuck in limbo. It's like the IMO is saying "oh, maybe climate change isn't that big of a deal"... Newsflash: it kinda is .

omg can you believe those fossil fuel states are like "hey let's just delay everything and hope the planet doesn't get too hot"? seriously though it's like they're trying to avoid taking responsibility for their emissions... meanwhile tiny nations that actually care about the climate are stuck dealing with the consequences and btw who needs billions of dollars when we need action?

I was just thinking about trying out this new sushi place downtown and I'm so down for it! Have you guys tried their spicy tuna roll? Anyway, back to this emissions thing... I mean, can't we all just get along? Like, what's the deal with these countries not wanting to cooperate on climate change? It feels like they're more worried about their own interests than the future of our planet . I swear, I was browsing through my old photos the other day and I found this one from last year's summer solstice festival. Remember that? We had such a great time dancing in the park under the sun . Sorry, where was I? Ah yeah, emissions... it's just so frustrating when powerful interests like fossil fuels keep holding us back .

I'm so bummed about this news . The US just managed to delay implementing an emissions levy on global shipping which is a huge step back for addressing climate change . I mean, think about it - shipping is already a massive contributor to greenhouse gas emissions (around 3% of global emissions) and now we're putting it off till next year? It's like we're not taking this crisis seriously enough .

And what really gets me is that the US is basically just using its power to bully other countries into doing their bidding. I mean, Saudi Arabia and Russia are already huge fossil fuel producers - shouldn't they be leading the charge on reducing emissions instead of trying to delay it?

The thing is, this delay will not only create uncertainty for companies involved in shipping but also means that billions of dollars in revenue could just disappear into thin air . And we all know how much money the fossil fuel industry stands to lose if we start making some real changes.

I'm so disappointed that governments are not taking more decisive action to address climate change . We can't afford to wait around for everyone to agree on something - the planet is literally burning and it's time for us to take drastic action .