Last week, the maritime sector was waiting for a turning point. At the extraordinary MEPC83 session, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) was expected to adopt the long-discussed Net Zero Framework (NZF). Instead, following a geopolitical standoff led by the United States and Saudi Arabia, the decision was deferred. The IMO will now revisit the NZF no earlier than October 2026, effectively pushing back the global decarbonisation timeline by at least one to two years.