Sailing Toward Net-Zero

In a major victory for climate, health, and the environment, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and member states recently reached agreement to cut emissions from the shipping industry, a significant polluter that emits roughly a billion tons of greenhouse gases each year. A majority of IMO states voted to put the shipping industry on a path toward net-zero emissions by 2050—adopting several measures, including a greenhouse gas pricing mechanism and a new global fuel standard that aim to incentivize cleaner fuels and reduce emissions over time.

Philanthropy played a key role, supporting a diverse coalition of organizations who shaped negotiations, provided technical expertise, and pushed for ambitious targets. This philanthropy-enabled coalition, leveraging strengths across shared strategies, deftly navigated challenging negotiations in a way that ultimately gave way to enough cooperation and alignment to ensure positive progress. There’s more to be done—while official adoption of the measures by IMO is slated for later 2025, the uncertain geopolitical environment adds an element of risk, and successful implementation of the rules requires continued investment in strategies that seek to raise the ambition of industry and national governments. Nonetheless, the momentum catalyzed by this milestone offers hope that shipping, a vital but polluting industry, can transition to net-zero emissions in a way that supports people and the planet.