Taxation without representation? UN pushes a global climate tax

The Trump Administration is threatening sanctions on countries that vote for the tax this week.

While democracies around the world reject climate policy, unelected bureaucrats at the United Nations look to force an international tax on carbon emissions.

This week, the International Maritime Organization (IMO), a U.N. agency, will vote on a “net-zero framework” on shipping. It’s the first time the U.N. has attempted to levy a tax.

Under this proposal, ships over 5000 gross tonnage would be subject to regulations and a pricing mechanism. Current talks set the fee at around $100 per ton of CO2. Future increases would be decided by a committee with more than 170 members, and no accountability to voters.

Although shipping accounts for just 3% of global emissions, this tax will have an outsized impact on consumers. Experts say the proposed tax will raise shipping costs by up to 10%, increasing the cost of household goods.

The tax is estimated to generate about $11-13 billion every year. This money will go into a new fund, controlled by the U.N., that will push decarbonization and “mitigate negative impacts” of climate change in developing countries. The fund will also “reward low-emission ships” and forward green innovation.

Unsurprisingly, America—the U.N.’s largest sponsor—is not happy about the prospect of taxation without representation.

The Trump Administration has threatened sanctions on any country that votes for it. Some lawmakers, like Senator Mike Lee of Utah, say its time for the U.S. to pull out of the U.N. altogether.

“The fact that a UN climate tax is even being considered warrants our withdrawal from the UN,” Lee said in a post on X.

China, India, Brazil, and the European Union are among the 63 countries that voted to advance the tax when it was proposed in April.

At this week’s IMO meeting in London, committee members will issue a final vote on whether to make it legally binding.