Green marine: decarbonising the shipping sector

Given it accounts for about 90 per cent of world trade, shipping’s 3 per cent share of global greenhouse gas emissions could be seen as decent business. Nonetheless, that 3 per cent translates to around one billion tonnes of CO2 each year. If the shipping industry was a country, it would rank as the sixth worst polluter in the world, behind only China, USA, India, Russia and Japan.

Unlike a country, however, the maritime sector cannot rely on electrification to kickstart its energy transition. Some short haul ferries and coastal vessels are already adopting battery electric, but ocean-going tankers and container ships won’t be following suit any time soon. As new EU emissions regulations come into force – and with an International Maritime Organisation (IMO) net zero target of 2050 on the horizon – shipping operators are exploring a patchwork of different solutions to chip away at the sector’s heavy carbon footprint.