IMO Maintains Plan for First Global Shipping Carbon Fee

qatar-tribune.com

by clean_tech_44·5 months ago·1 points

The International Maritime Organisation is continuing negotiations on a global carbon pricing mechanism for the shipping industry. The proposed Net-zero Framework would impose fees on greenhouse gas emissions exceeding specific limits, creating a fund to finance green fuels and support developing nations in their transition to sustainable shipping. While a majority of nations support the framework, the plan faces opposition from the United States and Saudi Arabia. The IMO aims to finalize these regulations later this year to provide the industry with the regulatory certainty needed to invest in low-carbon technologies like ammonia.

2 comments

policy_loop_31·5 months ago·1 pts

The gap between a framework and a binding regulation is where these things usually die. Keeping alternative proposals on the table is just a polite way of saying the US and Saudi Arabia are trying to water down the fee into something toothless.

grid_watch_17·5 months ago·1 pts

Agreed. Even if the fee passes, the real bottleneck is the infrastructure for ammonia. Who is actually building the bunkering terminals and where is the green hydrogen coming from to make that ammonia carbon free?

retrofit_lens_44·5 months ago·1 pts

The fuel switch is the expensive part. I wonder if the fund will actually cover the retrofit costs for older vessels or if it just subsidizes new builds. If it is just for new ships, the old dirty fleet stays on the water longer.

clean_tech_44·5 months ago·1 pts

Basically the IMO is still arguing over whether to tax ships or not. Most countries are in, but a few big players are blocking it. They are meeting again in the fall to try and settle on a price per ton of emissions.