Trump Administration Strikes IMO Strides Towards Net-Zero Emissions by 2050

Publish Date: 10.15.2025

During the eighty-third session of the Marine Environmental Protection Committee, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) announced it has approved draft regulations under a new IMO net-zero framework.[1] The legally binding framework presents a major step toward a sector-wide regime to help reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from international shipping.[2] The framework is the first of its kind to combine mandatory emissions limits and GHG pricing across a whole sector aims to achieve the IMO’s goal of reaching net-zero emissions by 2025.[3] The measures are set to be adopted in October 2025 during a session of the Marine Environment Protection Committee and will be mandatory for ocean-going ships over 5,000 gross tonnage.[4]

The net-zero framework will be codified into a new chapter of Annex VI to the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships.[5] The framework relies on a dual approach combining a global fuel standard and a global economic measure.[6] The global fuel standard indicates ships must reduce their greenhouse gas fuel intensity over time.[7] The global economic measure indicates that ships emitting above greenhouse gas fuel intensity thresholds will have to acquire remedial units to balance their deficit emissions and those using zero or near-zero GHG technologies will be eligible for financial rewards.[8]

As for the United States’ position on the net- zero framework, President Trump indicates the United States will not accept any international agreement that unduly burdens the United States or harms the interests of the American people.[9] The Trump Administration unequivocally rejects the proposal before the IMO and refuses to tolerate action that will increase costs for citizens, energy providers, shipping companies and their customers.[10] This administration indicates the proposed net-zero framework “is effectively a global carbon tax on Americans levied by an unaccountable United Nations organization.”[11] Pertaining specifically to fuel standards, this administration asserts that the fuel standards would “conveniently benefit China by requiring the use of expensive fuels unavailable at a global scale.”[12] These standards, according to this administration, would also preclude the use of technologies that fuel global shipping fleets, including lower emissions options where the United States leads.[13]

Until the finality of October 2025 session of the Marine Environment Protection Committee, it is unclear whether the draft amendments to the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships Annex VI will be formally circulated to IMO member states. Nonetheless, it is clear this administration will fight to oppose to adoption and the economic interests of the American people.

[1] IMO Approves Net-Zero Regulations, int’l mar. org. (Apr. 11, 2025), https://www.imo.org/en/mediacentre/pressbriefings/pages/imo-approves-netzero-regulations.aspx

[2] Id.

[3] Id.

[4] Id.

[5] Id.

[6] Id.

[7] Id.

[8] Id.

[9] Joint Statement on Protecting American Consumers and Shipping Industries by Defeating the International Maritime Organization’s Net Zero Framework aka Global Carbon Tax, U.S. Dep’t of Energy (Aug. 12, 2025), https://www.energy.gov/articles/joint-statement-protecting-american-consumers-and-shipping-industries-defeating.

[10] Id.

[11] Id.

[12] Id.

[13] Id.