Photo: BNMK 0819\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n
EU Revives Fight for Global Shipping Carbon Price, Setting Up IMO Clash With U.S.<\/p>\n
BRUSSELS\/LONDON, April 24 (Reuters)\u00a0\u2013\u00a0European Union countries agreed on Friday to keep pushing for a global price on shipping\u2019s<\/p>\n
in U.N. talks next week, setting up another potential clash with the United States over the proposal.<\/p>\n
Governments at the International Maritime Organization decided last year\u00a0to<\/p>\n
the climate plan by a year, after the Trump administration<\/p>\n
the measure and\u00a0threatened to impose\u00a0sanctions and visa restrictions on delegates who supported it.<\/p>\n
That has not stopped\u00a0European countries attempting to revive the plan, according to the\u00a0EU\u2019s negotiating position for next week\u2019s<\/p>\n
talks, seen by Reuters.<\/p>\n
Industry Voices Disappointment and Concern as IMO Postpones Global Shipping Carbon Tax Vote<\/p>\n
EU\u00a0countries \u201cshall oppose any attempts\u201d to remove the climate measures from being negotiated at the meeting, the document said.<\/p>\n
EU\u00a0countries will consider changes to the original carbon pricing plan if this helps gather support, the document said. However, some\u00a0EU\u00a0officials said they were pessimistic any compromise deal on climate measures could pass, given the firm opposition from the U.S..<\/p>\n
Norway\u2019s environment minister Andreas Bjelland Eriksen said that the IMO still had a chance to strike a historic deal, but had to look at \u201cdifferent approaches\u201d to avoid a repeat of last year\u2019s failure.<\/p>\n
\u201cAlso\u2026 whether we can do some things already now and potentially postpone other parts of the regulation to a later stage, for example,\u201d he added while speaking to journalists.<\/p>\n
A total of 57 countries \u2013 among them, China and major shipping states including Liberia \u2013 voted to delay the carbon price at the meeting in October, versus 49 who sought to land a deal.<\/p>\n
The supporters included\u00a0European nations, Brazil and some small island countries vulnerable to climate change.<\/p>\n
A coalition of the world\u2019s top three ship registries, Liberia, Panama and the Marshall Islands, plus oil tanker companies including Saudi Arabia\u2019s Bahri urged IMO members to consider alternatives to the original carbon pricing plan when they meet next week.<\/p>\n
\u201cSupport for the framework in its current form has continued to erode\u201d since the IMO meeting last year, they said in a statement.<\/p>\n
The IMO decision last year split the\u00a0EU, as Greece and Cyprus \u2013 each home to major shipping industries \u2013 broke ranks with the bloc and abstained in the vote, rather than supporting the\u00a0EU-backed climate proposal.<\/p>\n
Greece, Malta and Italy declined to endorse the new\u00a0EU\u00a0negotiating position, which was passed by a reinforced majority of\u00a0EU\u00a0countries, officials said.<\/p>\n