Maritime Shipping Emissions: An Interactive Report
Maritime Emissions Navigator
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Navigating the Tides of Change
The global maritime shipping industry, the backbone of international trade, is at a critical juncture. Accounting for nearly 3% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, with projections indicating a rise without decisive intervention, robust and transparent emission reporting has become a critical imperative. This reporting serves a dual purpose: it acts as a fundamental compliance mechanism for an evolving landscape of international and regional regulations, and it functions as an essential tool for fostering transparency, ensuring accountability, and driving comprehensive decarbonization strategies within major shipping companies.
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the European Union (EU) stand as the principal regulatory bodies shaping maritime emission reporting standards. In response to these escalating regulatory demands and increasing stakeholder expectations, leading global carriers such as A.P. Møller – Maersk, Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), CMA CGM Group, COSCO Shipping Holdings, and Hapag-Lloyd are demonstrating a proactive and comprehensive approach to emission reporting and reduction. Explore the tabs above to understand the forces shaping this monumental transition.
~3%
of Global GHG Emissions
2050
IMO Net-Zero Target Year
Scope 1, 2 & 3
GHG Protocol Reporting
The Regulatory Framework
Emission reporting is governed by a complex web of international and regional rules. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) sets global standards, while bodies like the European Union (EU) often implement more stringent regional measures. This section breaks down the key regulations that shipping companies must navigate. Select a regulatory body to explore its key initiatives.
IMO GHG Strategy (2023 Revisions)
Sets ambitious targets: net-zero GHG emissions by 2050, with indicative checkpoints for 2030 (20-30% reduction) and 2040 (70-80% reduction) from 2008 levels. It explicitly focuses on life-cycle GHG emissions and drives long-term investment in new fuels and technologies. The Net-Zero Framework (NZF) was approved in April 2025 and is slated for adoption in October 2025, effective 2028.
IMO Data Collection System (DCS)
Since 2018, ships over 5,000 GT must collect and report detailed fuel oil consumption data annually to the IMO, commencing in 2019. This includes granular data on fuel consumption per consumer type and onshore power supplied. Bunker Delivery Notes (BDNs) are critical for this process, as inaccuracies can directly influence a vessel’s Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII) calculation.
CII, EEDI & SEEMP
The Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII), introduced in 2023, measures and regulates the operational carbon intensity of ships. The Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) applies to new ships for inherent efficiency. The Ship Energy Efficiency Management Plan (SEEMP) is a tool for continuous operational efficiency improvement. DCS data is essential for compliance, and CII directly incentivizes operational measures like slow steaming.
MARPOL Annex VI (SOx & NOx)
Controls air pollution from ships. Global sulfur content limits are 0.50% m/m (from 2020), with stricter 0.10% m/m limits in Emission Control Areas (ECAs) like the Mediterranean Sea (from May 2025). NOx emissions are controlled via a tiered system (Tier I, II, III), with Tier III applying to ships in designated NOx ECAs (e.g., Baltic and North Seas for ships built after Jan 2021).
EU Emissions Trading System (ETS)
Integrates shipping into a ‘cap-and-trade’ system from 2024. Ships over 5,000 GT must acquire and surrender emission allowances for reported GHG emissions. Coverage began at 40% in 2024, increasing to 100% by 2026 for intra-EU voyages. This transforms emissions into a direct financial liability, creating a powerful economic incentive for decarbonization.
FuelEU Maritime Regulation
Effective from 2025, this regulation imposes ‘Well-to-Wake’ (WTW) GHG emissions requirements per unit of energy consumed. It mandates a 2% reduction in WTW GHG intensity by 2025, escalating to 80% by 2050 (from a 2020 baseline). WTW accounts for the entire lifecycle of the fuel, pushing companies to adopt greener fuels with lower overall carbon footprints.
EU SECAs & NECAs
The EU has established Sulphur Emission Control Areas (SECAs) in the Baltic and North Seas (from 2007), and the Mediterranean Sea (from May 2025), requiring marine fuels with max 0.10% sulfur. The Baltic and North Seas are also NOx Emission Control Areas (NECAs). These stricter regional limits create a complex, multi-layered compliance environment for global shipping companies.
The establishment and expansion of ECAs and NECAs, with their stricter emission limits compared to global MARPOL standards, illustrate a dynamic where regional regulations often act as a vanguard for environmental policy. This creates a complex, dual compliance challenge for global shipping companies, requiring them to adhere to both international baseline standards and more stringent regional rules.
Company Deep Dive & Comparison
Leading maritime carriers are not just complying with regulations; they are actively shaping the future of sustainable shipping. This section provides a comparative look at their decarbonization targets and strategies. The chart below shows the publicly stated net-zero GHG target year for each company, offering a quick overview of their ambition levels.
Explore Company Strategies
Select a company from the dropdown menu to explore its specific emission profile, decarbonization strategy, and key initiatives in detail.
Key Decarbonization Strategies:
GHG Emissions Breakdown
Common Reporting Standards
To ensure consistency, transparency, and comparability, companies rely on globally recognized standards for reporting emissions. These frameworks provide the methodologies and principles for calculating and disclosing environmental performance. The most prominent is the GHG Protocol, which categorizes emissions into three scopes.
Scope 1: Direct Emissions
These are emissions that arise directly from operations owned or controlled by the reporting company. In maritime shipping, this primarily encompasses emissions generated from the combustion of marine fuels in a company’s owned or operated vessel fleet, including CO2, SOx, and NOx from ship engines.
Scope 2: Indirect Emissions
These emissions are indirect and result from the generation of purchased or acquired electricity, steam, heating, or cooling consumed by the reporting company. For shipping companies, this typically covers the electricity consumption at their owned or controlled port terminals, corporate offices, and other land-based facilities.
Scope 3: Value Chain Emissions
This broad category includes all other indirect emissions (not covered in Scope 2) that occur in the value chain of the reporting company, encompassing both upstream and downstream activities. For maritime shipping, this can include emissions from fuel production (“well-to-tank”), subcontracted transport, and business travel.
The widespread adoption of the GHG Protocol, particularly the increasing focus on Scope 3 emissions, signifies a critical expansion of reporting responsibility for shipping companies. It compels them to look beyond their immediate operational control to encompass the entire value chain, fostering greater supply chain transparency and collaborative decarbonization efforts.
Data Collection and Quantification Methods
Fuel Oil Consumption Data (BDNs)
The collection of detailed fuel oil consumption data forms the bedrock of maritime emission reporting. Bunker Delivery Notes (BDNs) are critical documents, accurately recording fuel type, quantity, density, and sulfur content. Electronic BDNs are increasingly accepted, reflecting a shift towards digital efficiency in data management.
Operational Efficiency Measures
Shipping companies implement various operational strategies to reduce emissions, including regular energy audits, optimizing voyage planning and routing to minimize fuel consumption, implementing slow steaming practices, and improving hull maintenance and cleaning to reduce hydrodynamic drag.
Direct Measurement vs. Calculation
Emissions can be quantified using direct measurement (e.g., Continuous Emissions Monitoring Systems – CEMS) or calculation-based methods. Most organizations, including shipping companies, primarily use calculation methods, multiplying activity data (e.g., fuel consumption) by specific emission factors. Digital tools are increasingly vital for managing this complex data.
Other Key Frameworks
ISO 14083: An international standard (2023) providing a common, standardized calculation method for GHG emissions from freight and passenger transport, enabling accurate Scope 3 measurement.
GRI Standards: Widely recognized for comprehensive sustainability reporting globally, offering a robust framework for disclosing environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance.
GLEC Framework: From the Smart Freight Centre, designed to promote data transparency for inland logistics and freight emissions, often used with ISO 14083.
General Reporting Protocol (GrP) Principles: Outlines five overarching accounting and reporting principles: Relevance, Completeness, Consistency, Transparency, and Accuracy, fundamental for ensuring GHG data faithfully represents an organization’s emissions.
