Current co-sponsors for a joint submission with
proposed text for a new MARPOL Annex VI chapter to ensure a legally-binding
levy on GHG emissions from shipping include the world’s three largest flags,
European Union nations, the UK, a host of African countries among others.
Albon Ishoda, the Marshall Islands’ special envoy
for maritime decarbonisation, commented on the growing levy coalition, saying: “The GHG levy is a defining moment for
global maritime policy. For frontline nations like ours, this is more than
an environmental initiative—it’s about securing a just and sustainable future
for all. This levy is not just an effective mechanism for reducing emissions
but a vital tool to level the playing field, enabling the most vulnerable to
not only survive but thrive in a rapidly changing world. The time to act is
now, with a united global commitment that leaves no nation behind.”
Countries to have signed up to the levy submission include Austria, Bahamas, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia,
Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece,
Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Latvia, Liberia, Lithuania,
Luxembourg, Malta, Marshall Islands, Montenegro, The Netherlands, Nigeria,
Palau, Panama, Poland, Portugal, South Korea, Romania, Seychelles, Slovakia,
Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Spain, Sweden, Tonga, Tuvalu, Ukraine, the UK and
Vanuatu with other nations tipped to join soon.
The European Commission and the International Chamber of Shipping are
also backing the submission, which will likely fly in the face of Donald Trump, who will become the 47th president of the US on
January 20 and will likely distance himself from IMO green negotiations based
on his previous four-year tenure in the White House.