The head of the United Nations' shipping regulator has confirmed that the global maritime industry remains committed to its goal of decarbonization by 2050, despite what he described as highly unusual and aggressive negotiation tactics by the United States that threatened to derail a crucial pollution agreement.
Unprecedented Pressure at IMO Meeting
In October 2025, a meeting of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) was shaken by what climate diplomats called threats, intimidation, and harassment from US negotiators. The strongarm tactics, which included threats of sanctions, visa freezes, and port levies against nations that did not support the US position, were deployed to stall a global deal on shipping pollution.
Arsenio Dominguez, the IMO Secretary-General, stated that this conduct was not typical of the organization's proceedings. In an interview with AFP at the COP30 climate summit in Belem, the Panamanian official, who is nearly halfway through his four-year term, expressed his dismay. "In my 28 years I have never experienced that kind of meeting at the IMO. It was not a typical IMO meeting," Dominguez revealed.
Global Repercussions and the Spirit of COP30
The fallout from the IMO meeting sent chills through the international community just ahead of the critical COP30 summit. Brazil, the host nation, had been confident that global unity would prevail at the November climate talks. However, the undiplomatic scenes at the IMO presented a more troubling possibility for multilateral negotiations.
Even with the United States skipping the COP30 summit, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva made a pointed call for good faith negotiations and a firm rejection of the "pressure and threats" that had been witnessed at the IMO. Dominguez echoed this sentiment, calling for a return to the normal spirit of compromise and cooperation that has historically characterized the IMO's work.
The Unwavering Path to 2050
Despite the significant setback, Dominguez was emphatic that the core objective remains unchanged. "Our goal -- that we all agree at IMO back in 2023 -- is to decarbonize the sector by around 2050. And we all maintain that goal, regardless of the state of play right now," he asserted.
He urged against judging the entire organization based on one contentious meeting, emphasizing that multilateralism is "very much alive at IMO." The negotiations are ongoing and are by no means a finished deal. Dominguez confirmed that the process will continue, with further bilateral and multilateral conversations planned ahead of the next session to integrate the comments and concerns of all member states.
The IMO's commitment to a decarbonized future for shipping by around 2050 stands firm, with the Secretary-General expressing his conviction that the organization is serious about achieving this critical environmental target.
