The UN's International Maritime Organization's (IMO) net-zero framework is drifting further from adoption as governments arrive at MEPC 84 without compromise, reports Saint Petersburg's PortNews, citing a European Parliament briefing.

The London meeting, scheduled from 27 April to 1 May, is now seen as a pressure point rather than a decision forum, with the outcome expected to shape whether shipping retains a pathway to a global carbon regime ahead of resumed talks in November 2026.

The framework cleared MEPC 83 on a 63-16 vote with 24 abstentions, built around a green fuel standard and compliance system pricing excess emissions at US$100 and $380 per tonne of CO2. That deal held only after a broader levy was removed, undermining the package's integrity.

A 57-49 vote to adjourn adoption exposed deep divisions, destabilizing the timetable and putting the 2050 net-zero target under pressure. States remain split between differentiated obligations and uniform rules, with proposals ranging from preserving the framework to dismantling its economic element.

Without a levy, the mechanism's ability to generate transition capital has weakened, raising doubts over the delivery of the 2030 and 2040 targets. Shipowners face uncertainty on fuel pathways and compliance strategies under an incomplete rule set.

The United States continues to oppose carbon pricing, while the European Union maintains its regional regime but arrives without a unified position. Failure to restore momentum risks accelerating fragmented systems, increasing carbon leakage, overlapping costs, and distortions in global trade.