Japan's wavering stance threatens its shipping influence at the IMO

Japan, a major shipbuilding power, helped secure broad support for the IMO’s Net-Zero Framework in April 2025 but later abstained on a Saudi-sponsored motion to defer its adoption, letting the delay pass. In response, Tokyo presented an alternative that omitted mandatory carbon pricing, a requirement that had been unanimously accepted under the IMO’s 2023 climate strategy. Negotiators in April this year, backed by Brazil, Britain, the European Union, the Marshall Islands and emerging African voices, dismissed Japan’s plan and reaffirmed the original framework.

The outcome leaves Japan’s reputation at the IMO in jeopardy and forces it to decide whether to return to its earlier endorsement or continue pushing a weaker option lacking greenhouse-gas pricing and a developing-country fund. Upcoming committee sessions in late November and December, preceded by a London working group meeting in early September, will determine the next steps. The stakes involve not only a stable, cost-effective transition for global shipping but also Japan’s industrial edge and diplomatic clout.