Nearly 90 maritime businesses including the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, Kuehne+Nagel, and Everllence are pressuring governments to adopt a UN framework for shipping emissions. The coalition warns that delays risk undermining international investment and growth in the sector. The framework, which would impose a carbon price on ships over 5,000 tons, was provisionally agreed last year but faces opposition from the US.

Shipping accounts for 3% of global emissions and delivers 80% of world trade, making the industry's decarbonization crucial for climate goals. The US has reportedly used "bully boy tactics" to derail the net-zero framework, including personal threats to delegates from African and Pacific nations. Despite claiming climate leadership, Panama has joined Liberia and Argentina in proposing a revised approach that would eliminate the carbon levy.

The April International Maritime Organization talks are expected to be contentious, with Pacific Island nations warning that renegotiating the framework could cause it to "collapse entirely." Industry leaders emphasize that synthetic fuels are essential for achieving net zero, but investments in e-fuels remain uncertain without the framework in place.