King Charles boards green ship as Forrest and Albanese rally Commonwealth

King Charles III climbed aboard a working green-energy ship in Antigua on Monday, throwing royal weight behind an Australian-led campaign to wean global shipping off oil. He met Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on the deck of the Fortescue Green Pioneer, a 75-metre vessel docked in St John's harbour for the Commonwealth summit. Mining billionaire Andrew Forrest, whose Fortescue built the ship, hosted more than a dozen Commonwealth leaders at the same event.

The gathering doubled as the launch pad for the Commonwealth Nature Initiative, a new environmental fund starting with $US200 million (about $288 million) and aiming to raise $US1 billion by 2030. Organisers say it will sharpen protection for habitats and oceans by the end of the decade. Rather than pooling cash, it will coordinate pledges from governments, donors and the private sector.

The Green Pioneer runs on ammonia made from renewable energy alongside conventional diesel — a live demonstration of the technology Forrest argues can replace or supplement fossil fuels. The International Maritime Organisation is weighing its own Net Zero Framework to curb shipping emissions, but members voted last October to delay a decision, punting it to a fresh vote later this year.

That delay has a lot to do with Washington. US President Donald Trump has attacked the shipping climate targets as a "Global Green New Scam Tax" and vowed to block them, setting up a lobbying fight over the coming vote. With 56 member states at the table — including Pacific and Caribbean nations that have pushed hardest on climate — Commonwealth backing could tip the scales.

Albanese used the moment to praise the King's environmental record. "Renewable energy will lower costs, not increase them," he said, crediting Charles's leadership for the initiative. Charles, who last met Albanese at Balmoral in September 2025, chatted with the prime minister on board but did not address the assembled leaders.

The fund's early backers include the Minderoo Foundation, run by Forrest and his former wife Nicola, and the Rob Walton Foundation, set up by the son of Walmart's founder. The Rainforest Trust, the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, the Waitt Foundation and National Geographic Pristine Seas are also on board. Notably, Albanese announced no Australian government donation at the event.