"Shipping Emissions Tackled in Global Deal Now"

Countries met to agree on a deal so fine,
To reduce shipping emissions, a long-awaited sign.
After ten years of talks, they finally made a pact,
To use cleaner fuels or face a hefty fact.

Starting in 2028, ship owners will have to comply,
With increasingly cleaner fuels, or they'll have to buy,
Fines of up to $380 per tonne, a penalty so high,
To reduce their emissions, and reach for the sky.

But small island states and groups were quite dismayed,
A blanket tax was not agreed, and they felt betrayed.
They called the deal "unfit for purpose", a disappointment so great,
And said it would not help to reduce the carbon weight.

Shipping accounts for 3% of global emissions, a small share,
But it's struggled to reduce its footprint, without a single care.
It's reliant on fossil fuels, like diesel so dark,
But now it's the first industry with targets to embark.

The agreement was passed at the IMO meeting so grand,
With a vote, an unusual move, in this UN land.
Saudi Arabia requested the vote, with a dozen others in tow,
But they'll still have to implement it, as IMO members, don't you know.