The Global Push for a Green Shipping Levy

A levy on greenhouse gas emissions could be one of the single largest shipping news items of the year with a growing coalition now aiming to force this much-discussed environmental measure through when member states gather at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in April for the 83rd meeting of the Marine Environmental Protection Committee (MEPC).

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.

Splash will be bringing readers key developments from MEPC this April.