More than 100 nations in the International Maritime Organization have agreed to fuel standards for ships and fees for carbon emissions offenders, which the Trump administration opposes.
Shipping containers are unloaded from arriving cargo ships at the Port of Long Beach in Long Beach, California on May 13, 2019. More than 100 nations in the International Maritime Organization have agreed to fuel standards for ships and fees for carbon emissions offenders. File photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI | License Photo April 12 (UPI) -- In London on Friday, the United Nations agency members agreed on a draft to be formally adopted in October in an effort to cut down on global carbon emissions. If adopted, it would go into effect in 2027 for ocean-going vessels over 5,000 gross tonnage, which collectively account for 85% of carbon dioxide emissions from the marine shipping fleet. They did not, however, agree on a levy on carbon dioxide usage, which would net roughly $60 billion a year. The International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships has 108 parties, covering 97% of the world's merchant shipping fleet by tonnage, and already has some mandatory efficiency requirements for ships. The new draft proposal was agreed upon by the Marine Environment Protection Committee during its four-day session. IMO has 176 member states and was established in 1948 and met for the first time in January 1959. Most non-member states are landlocked countries, including Afghanistan, Laos, South Sudan and Uzbekistan. IMO set a goal for shipping to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. President Donald Trump withdrew from the organization earlier this month, saying the United States would reciprocate against any fees imposed on U.S. ships. The White House and State Department yet commented on the draft proposal. Major oil-producing states, including Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Russia, also oppose the measure, as do several small island states who abstained on the final vote. A levy for all carbon dioxide emissions was opposed by those nations as well as Brazil, China and the European Union. In the agreed-upon plan, there would be a new standard for the…