“We want to ensure the International Maritime Organisation is in alignment with principles of international environmental law and advances a just and equitable transition in the decarbonisation of international shipping.”
That’s the message from Maria Sahib, Co-Director of the Micronesian Center for Sustainable Transport (MCST), as Pacific nations prepare key submissions to the International Maritime Organisation this week.
Sahib says the Pacific is drawing strength from recent international court rulings that clearly state greenhouse gas emissions are pollution under international law.
“6PAC+ nations have a series of submissions that are being finalised with our scientific and legal experts to make sure that our countries, which bear the brunt of climate impacts, are not left behind in maritime transition by developed nations.”
The 6PAC+ alliance includes Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.
The submissions are due this Friday, 5 September, ahead of decisive negotiations in October. At that meeting in London, IMO member states will be asked to adopt the much-anticipated Net Zero Framework, a package of measures to slash emissions from global shipping — one of the world’s biggest polluting sectors.
At stake is whether the Net Zero Framework sets a genuine pathway for shipping to align with the Paris Agreement’s 1.5-degree target — and whether the revenues from a new Net Zero Fund will be governed in ways that deliver for SIDS and Least Developed Countries, not just for richer economies.
The Secretary-General of the IMO, Arsenio Domínguez, reinforced the Pacific’s importance when he visited Suva last month to open the organisation’s first ever Regional Presence Office in the Pacific. Speaking at the inauguration, he told delegates:
“The Pacific may be distant from London, but your commitment is clear. This office reflects IMO’s commitment to working with you.”
After Friday’s deadline, countries have until 12 September to co-sponsor submissions. From there, the proposals will be compiled for discussion at the intersessional working group later next month, before a full report is tabled at the next Marine Environment Protection Committee in early 2026.
