France, April 14 -- The global maritime industry has agreed to implement the world's first international carbon pricing system - a historic milestone in climate action, but one that many experts and activists say lacks sufficient ambition to meet critical climate goals.

The agreement was reached last Friday at the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) in London, after a week of negotiations that exposed deep divisions between countries.

It creates a fuel carbon intensity standard backed by a levy system that will charge shipping companies for greenhouse gas emissions based on their carbon content.

From 2028, the world's roughly 100,000 commercial vessels will have to switch to cleaner fuels or pay a fee for the pollution they produ...