A landmark deal to cut global shipping emissions has been abandoned after Saudi Arabia and the US succeeded in ending the talks.More than 100 countries had gathered in London to approve a deal first agreed in April, which would have seen shipping become the world’s first industry to adopt internationally mandated targets to reduce emissions.But President Trump had called the plan a “green scam” and representatives of his administration had threatened countries with tariffs if they had voted in favour.Reflecting the pressure countries faced, the Secretary General of the International Maritime Organisation Arsenio Dominguez issued a “plea” for this not to be repeated.In a dramatic conclusion on Friday, when countries should have been voting to approve the deal, Saudi Arabia tabled a motion to adjourn the talks for a year.The chairman said this would mean that the agreement was not approved, as key timelines for the treaty would have to be revised.The motion passed by just a handful of votes. Hon. Ralph Regenvanu, Minister for Climate Change for the Republic of Vanuatu, said Saudi Arabia’s motion was “unacceptable given the urgency we face in light of accelerating climate change”.”We came to London in reluctant support of the IMO’s Net-Zero Framework. While it lacks the ambition that climate science demands, it does mark a significant step,” he said.The shipping industry has been broadly supportive of the deal because it offered consistent global standards. Speaking after the talks ended, Thomas Kazakos, se …
