The UN's International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has delayed adoption of its Net-Zero Framework for a year after the US rejected the whole climate change agenda, reported the American Journal of Transportation.

Not only did the US reject the imposition of United Nations de facto regulation and taxation, it said it would penalize ships and cargos of nations of any nation that backed the new UN regime.

The UN rules include mandating global fuel standards and compelled participation the sale and acquisition of "carbon credits".

The liner sector has already invested US$150 billion in vessels designed to run on green fuels, aligning with the 2023 IMO GHG Strategy.

Earlier, leading Greek shipowners criticised the UN plan, arguing it lacks industry consultation and will raise consumer costs, reports the UK's Seatrade Maritime News.

At the Cyprus Maritime Conference, George Procopiou of Dynacom Tankers said the regulations would backfire, increasing emissions and costs. Andreas Hadjiyannis of Cyprus Sea Lines agreed, calling the maritime sector's carbon footprint negligible.

Mr Procopiou claimed regulators were turning shipping into a "tax collector" and urged a pause in decarbonisation. He said carbon capture technology offers a more realistic path forward than current proposals.

Mr Hadjiyannis argued that shipping contributes only 2.5 to three per cent of man-made carbon emissions, and that the EU ETS only works if clean fuels are available. He warned that expensive fuels would inflate consumer prices.

The World Shipping Council has called on the International Maritime Organization to use the coming year to strengthen the IMO Net-Zero Framework.

Environmental groups like Seas At Risk expressed disappointment. The Net Zero scheme is the product of three years of negotiations and represents the only global regulatory effort to reduce CO2 emissions.