A new agreement requires ships to reduce emissions or pay fees

Amid unrest in global trade, the two countries around the world reached a great agreement, albeit modest, on Friday to reduce climate pollution that comes from shipping these goods all over the world – with what is a tax, no less.

A draft agreement in London will require the auspices of the International Maritime Organization, the United Nations Agency, from every ship that is equivalent to ocean goods to reduce greenhouse gas emissions or pay fees.

The goals lack what many had hoped. However, this is the first time that a global industry has faced price on climate pollution, regardless of where it works in the world. Revenue will be used mainly to help the industry move to cleaner fuel. It will enter into force in 2028, pending approval by the representatives of the country, which is widely expected.

The agreement is a rare part of the most prominent international cooperation because it has been reached even after the United States Withdraw Earlier in the week. There are no other countries that follow.

“The United States is only one country and one country cannot hinder this entire process,” said FAIG Abbasov, Director of Transport and Environment, a European advocacy group that prompted the marine industry to clean. “This will be the first binding decision that would force the carbon to remove carbon and turn into alternative fuel.”

The agreement applies to all ships, regardless of their flag, including ships registered in the United States, although the vast majority of ships are marked in other countries. It remained unclear whether Washington had responded to the fees agreement.

Officials at the Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Ships mostly work on heavy fuel oil, which are sometimes called BUNKER fuel and more than 80 percent of global goods that move by ships. The industry represents about 3 percent of global greenhouse emissions, similar to emissions from flying.

The agreement reached on Friday is much less ambitious than what was proposed by a group of island countries that proposed a global evaluation of emissions.

After two years of negotiations, the proposal determines a complex system of drawings. It sets carbon density targets, which are similar to clean fuel standards for cars and trucks. Ships that use traditional charging oil should pay a higher fee ($ 380 per metric ton of carbon dioxide bonus) while ships that use the fuel mixture less carbon density must pay fees less (100 dollars per metric ton exceeding the standard of fuel).

The threshold will become tougher over time. It can allow the industry to switch to biofuels to meet the criteria. This is a controversial approach, as biofuels are made of crops, and cultivating more crops to make fuel can contribute to the removal of forests.

New shipping fuel standards aim to stimulate alternative fuel development, including hydrogen.

There were objections from many circles. Developing countries with naval fleets said they would be unfairly punished because they have old fleets. Countries like the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which charge huge amounts of oil and China, which export everything from plastic toys to electric cars all over the world, wears proposals to put a higher price, according to the people familiar with the negotiations.

“They have made a proposal for a reliable source of our revenues for those of us in urgent need of funding to help with climate effects,” said Ralph Regenvano, Minister of Climate for Vanuato, in a statement after the vote.

In the end, the countries that voted in favor of the settlement agreement included China and the European Union. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Russia voted against it.

The United States withdrew completely from the talks.

The global shipping industry agreed in 2023 Eliminate greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Last year, this commitment continued with a more realistic plan, and took The first steps towards Create a carbon price at the industry level.

The expectations conducted by the international shipping room, an industrial body, have found that they will have a little impact on prices. “We want an industry organization and a level stadium so that we can continue to work,” said the room Stewart Neil. “It is a global industry. You need global regulations.”

Claire Brown The reports contributed.