By By: Staff Writer
New York – Liberia has made a strong case at the United Nations for a fair and equitable global framework to decarbonize international shipping, warning that the push for net-zero emissions should not become a new economic burden for developing countries.
Presenting its alternative approach to the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Net-Zero Framework during a high-level engagement with UN Member States on Tuesday, Liberia said it fully supports ambitious climate action, but insists the transition must be practical, affordable, and just.
As the world’s largest flag State and one of the most climate-vulnerable nations, Liberia argued that there is no contradiction between saving the planet and protecting developing economies.
The country cautioned that a sharp rise in shipping costs will not stay at sea. It will hit food prices, fuel, medicines, and construction materials — threatening food security, energy security, and inflation in countries like Liberia that depend heavily on sea trade.
“Net zero must not become a new burden on developing countries,” Liberia told member states.
Instead of imposing high costs first and promising compensation later, Liberia is proposing a performance-based model centered on commercially viable fuels, operational efficiency, technology transfer, infrastructure investment, and predictable support for developing nations.
Liberia is also demanding country-specific impact assessments, arguing that a one-size-fits-all global assessment ignores the different trade profiles, debt levels, and port infrastructure of developing states.
The government stressed that any framework must be evidence-based, legally coherent, and scalable across all ports and shipping routes — not just in wealthy nations.
Liberia clarified that its position is not to weaken climate ambition, but to ensure that ambition and development move together. The legitimacy of the IMO, it said, depends on the confidence of all members — big and small, flag and coastal states.
The debate will continue at the next Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) meeting in November 2026, where Liberia says it will remain actively engaged to push for a deal that is environmentally ambitious, economically responsible, and equitable.
