PATH TO NET ZERO: Shipping companies face slow low-carbon bunker transition
Major shipping companies have made progress in reducing the greenhouse gas emissions intensity of their operations but are struggling to achieve emission cuts in absolute terms. In their latest annual reports, the world’s top 10 maritime companies by market capitalization — all of which have some degree of net-zero targets by 2050 or earlier — ...
Major shipping companies have made progress in reducing their greenhouse gas emissions intensity, but are struggling to achieve absolute emission cuts. Despite long-term declines in GHGs per transport work, overall emissions increased in 2025 due to longer routes and increased fuel consumption. Tore Longva, DNV's decarbonization director, stated that low-hanging energy efficiency measures have been implemented, but a further 25% of improvements are still possible by 2050.
Low-GHG fuels, essential for net-zero, are currently more expensive than conventional fuels due to their limited availability. The European Union has extended its emissions trading system to shipping and introduced the FuelEU Maritime rules in 2025 to cap GHG bunker fuel intensity. Meanwhile, the International Maritime Organization's Net-Zero Framework, aimed at pricing GHGs from ship operations globally from 2028, faces delays due to US opposition.
Major shipping firms believe meaningful emissions reductions can be achieved through energy efficiency improvements and the use of currently available alternative fuels like LNG and biofuels in the interim period.
Written by urgent.news from Hellenic Shipping News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
