US officials locked in hostile back-and-forth with European nations: 'Our negotiators had never seen this before'

American diplomats have come under criticism after hostile negotiations with European countries and other nations about green shipping regulations aimed at reducing pollution. 

What happened?

According to Politico, European negotiators who discussed new rules at the International Maritime Organization meetings in October found themselves directly threatened by their American counterparts if they voted to approve the measures. 

The changes would have taxed pollution from shipping companies. In the end, IMO member nations voted to postpone the pollution tax for a year, which was seen as a victory for the U.S. pressure campaign, the news outlet detailed.

"Our negotiators had never seen this before in any international talks," said one European official who had spoken to negotiators, per Politico. The official reported on "people being summoned to the U.S. Embassy in London — intimidation, threats of cessation of business, threats of family members losing visas."

The United States, along with Saudi Arabia and Russia, led the opposition to the new rules, with the argument that the measures would unnecessarily raise costs for American businesses, consumers, and others. 

During the meeting, the U.S. reportedly threatened Caribbean countries with tariffs if they didn't vote to delay the measures. Vanuatu Climate Minister Ralph Regenvanu said that other island nations had also been subjected to "relentless pressure" from the U.S. 

"There's bulls*** going on," Regenvanu said at the time, according to Politico.

Why is this important?

The American delegates' position on the proposed regulation was unsurprising, given the Trump administration's stances on clean energy and policies that reduce pollution to cool the planet. President Trump has called the threat posed by rising global temperatures a "con job," and the administration's policies have favored deregulation of the energy and shipping industries. 

As Politico reported, the aggressive diplomatic stance did surprise negotiators from other nations — especially those that have historically been considered allies. 

The U.S. push against green initiatives also comes with grave risks. As the Earth continues to warm and weather patterns become more volatile and extreme, experts view efforts to reduce heat-trapping pollution — including in the shipping industry — as critical.

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What's being done about the shipping regulations?

While the effort to reduce shipping pollution wasn't struck down entirely, the vote to postpone the tax for a year was "a feat viewed by many as a near-death blow to the measure," Politico reported.

The best way to support pollution-reducing efforts such as the shipping rules is to elect candidates who support such measures and clean energy initiatives that limit emissions. If you are in favor of such efforts, you can also prompt governments to support policies that reduce pollution.

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