As global negotiations to clean up the shipping industry hang in the balance, a high-visibility river action turns the IMO headquarters itself into an unavoidable call for climate action

As delegates arrive at the International Maritime Organization  for critical negotiations on the world’s first global carbon emissions price on shipping, activists will transform the IMO headquarters into a site of direct confrontation—covering it with massive banners visible from the River Thames, Lambeth Bridge, and all surrounding approach routes. The action comes as global shipping routes face escalating instability—from tensions in the Strait of Hormuz to conflict-driven surges in oil and LNG transport—placing unprecedented pressure on supply chains and exposing the risks of continued fossil fuel dependence. The outcome of these talks will determine not just how shipping decarbonizes, but whether billions in revenue are directed to the countries most affected by climate breakdown. Vulnerable nations—who did the least to cause the crisis but face its worst impacts—stand to benefit most.

No delegate or passerby will miss the message. Anyone approaching the building—by car, on foot, or by boat—will be met with an unmistakable demand. Like London’s iconic “Mind the Gap” signs, the message is clear and directive: Stand up to Trump and the petrostates. Deliver green shipping now.

Positioned directly along the route into the talks and dominating the riverfront skyline, the action is designed to ensure that every delegate enters the building under public scrutiny at a defining moment for global climate policy.

WHAT: Large-scale banner action covering IMO headquarters and visible across the Thames and surrounding approach routes, in coordination with Ocean Rebellion

WHERE: International Maritime Organization (IMO), 4 Albert Embankment, London. Best locations to photograph the action will be from Lambeth Bridge or across the river by Millbank. Visible from the River Thames, Lambeth Bridge, and key surrounding routes. GPS coordinates here.

WHEN: Monday, 27 April, 8.00am BST

VISUALS:

• Massive banners (approx. 3m x 12m / 10’ x 40’) labeling the IMO building

• Messaging visible to all approaching delegates and river traffic

• Activists on the Thames and along the embankment

• Coordinated visual actions with Ocean Rebellion

Em Fenton, Senior Director of Climate Diplomacy, at Opportunity Green stated: “The IMO Net-Zero Framework is not just a climate measure – it’s a test of whether international cooperation can survive in an era of increasing geopolitical pressure. A majority of the world’s nations want this to succeed. Opposition may be loud, but that doesn’t mean it will drown out the voices for ambition and justice, many of whom come from communities most greatly affected by climate impacts.”

Andrew Nazdin, Director of Glasgow Actions Team, stated: “The only beneficiaries of Trump’s foreign policy of chaos are the same oil executives he invited to Mar-a-Lago for fundraising dinners — and the rest of us are stuck with instability, war, and price spikes. Countries like Greece and Cyprus need to decide if they really want to align themselves with Trump and the other petrostates, or if they’re ready to say ‘enough is enough.’”