Global climate diplomacy has hit turbulent waters. Following the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) stalled progress on its Net-Zero Framework and an underwhelming outcome at COP30 in Brazil, questions are mounting about the future of global climate governance particularly for the shipping industry. Lloyd’s List editor-in-chief Richard Meade brings together key climate and shipping experts to examine whether the sector’s green transition is losing momentum and what the latest diplomatic failures mean for international maritime decarbonisation.
COP30’s Missed Opportunity and What It Means for Shipping
The COP30 climate summit saw a strong push from more than 80 countries to commit to phasing out fossil fuels altogether a move that would have sent a powerful signal to industries reliant on carbon-heavy energy sources, including shipping. However, negotiations fell short of this ambition, leading only to a modest agreement aimed at maintaining minimal progress.
For shipping, this result provides little confidence. The sector, responsible for nearly 3% of global emissions, relies heavily on clear political direction to spur investment in zero-carbon technologies and alternative fuels. The failure to secure a firm fossil-fuel phase-out leaves shipowners, financiers and fuel suppliers navigating uncertainty at a critical moment. As Richard Meade notes, “Not dead yet” is hardly the inspirational message needed to accelerate innovation or investment.
IMO Stalemate Creates Risk of a ‘Zombie’ or ‘Mutant’ Net-Zero Framework
Just weeks before COP30, the IMO placed its Net-Zero Framework on a one-year pause effectively putting the plan “on life support.” With climate governance stalling at both global and maritime levels, experts warn of two dangerous scenarios:
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A “zombie” framework — one that continues to exist in name but has no real impact or enforceability.
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A “mutant” framework — one so diluted through political compromise that it becomes ineffective.
On the Lloyd’s List Podcast, four experts Ellie Besley-Gould, Katharine Palmer, Christiaan De Beukelaer, and Beatriz Martinez Romera share their insights into the IMO deadlock. They highlight a growing gap between the urgency of climate science and the slow pace of international decision-making. Without clear regulatory direction, the shipping sector risks fragmented national approaches, inconsistent standards, and stalled progress toward full decarbonisation.
Despite the gloom surrounding COP30 and the IMO’s stalled framework, climate diplomacy is “not dead yet.” The shipping industry still has an opportunity to shape a credible pathway to net-zero but only if global governance bodies regain momentum and deliver concrete, science-aligned policies. As the experts on the Lloyd’s List Podcast make clear, the coming year will be pivotal: either the maritime sector will revive its decarbonisation commitments or drift into a prolonged state of uncertainty. The world’s green transition may not be blown off course entirely, but it is unmistakably in need of stronger direction, political will, and coordinated global action.
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Source: Lloyd’s List
