IMO's Credibility Put to the Test

The IMO will reconvene in London on March 31 and April 1, for a crucial two-day Intersessional Working Group on Greenhouse Gas (ISWG-GHG 19) meeting. The meeting sets the stage for a decision on a GHG pricing mechanism by the Marine Environment Protection Committee 83 (MEPC 83) on April 7-11 on the future of shipping’s climate responsibility.

The 6PAC+ alliance, a group of Pacific, African and Caribbean States, backed by major allies, emphasizes that this meeting is a make-or-break moment for securing a universal GHG levy of $150 per tonne of CO2-equivalent. This is the minimum price needed to close the cost gap with alternative fuels and trigger large-scale commercial production by the 2030s, says the alliance.

ISWG-GHG 19 is a test of IMO’s credibility, said Ambassador Albon Ishoda, Marshall Islands Special Envoy for Maritime Decarbonization. “Without a universal GHG levy, IMO’s climate targets are meaningless. This is the fastest, most effective, and lowest-cost way to ensure a just and equitable transition, where no one is left behind. Delays cost lives. The time for action is now."

For the 6PAC+, this fight is not just about climate ambition, it is about survival. Rising sea levels, intensifying storms and eroding coastlines