I’ll admit, I first had to sleep on it before putting my thoughts together about yesterday’s news that the International Maritime Organization postponed its Net Zero Framework by another year.

It’s a disappointing outcome. The shipping sector had a real opportunity to show unity and leadership by agreeing on a global carbon pricing mechanism — one clear, predictable framework to accelerate decarbonization. Instead, we now face another year of regional fragmentation, overlapping regulations, and growing uncertainty.

For the industry, that means higher costs, greater complexity, and delayed investments in green fuels and innovation. For those of us who truly care about the 2050 goals, that’s hard to accept.

At the same time, moments like this also remind me why we built ETS Navigator. Even without a global framework, we can still make progress — by helping mid-sized and smaller shipowners around the world navigate compliance confidently and invest in their decarbonization journey today. I do not doubt that in our industry, at a certain point, there will be a global carbon price (no tax!), so you better be prepared!

Progress doesn’t always start at the top; sometimes it begins with those who choose to move first. Let’s discuss how we can help your operations master this new, fragmented compliance landscape.