Environment

ICS urges countries to compromise over CO2 reduction strategy

‘Or risk having no IMO CO2 strategy at all,’ says Chairman, Esben Poulsson.

Published

8 years ago

March 27, 2018

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The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) recommends governments to compromise their mutual expectations on a strategy to reduce carbon dioxide from shipping, ahead of a critical International Maritime Organization (IMO) meeting on 3 April, “or risk having no IMO CO2 strategy at all.”

“Governments on all sides of the debate are going to need to show far more willingness to compromise on their current positions or put at risk an agreement on a meaningful strategy,” says ICS Chairman, Esben Poulsson.

“This would greatly undermine the authority of IMO and the future sustainability of the shipping industry.

“Agreement upon a mid-century objective for the total reduction of CO2 emissions by the sector, regardless of trade growth, will be vital to discourage unilateral action and to provide the signal needed to stimulate the development of zero CO2 fuels.”

“But the very high level of ambition proposed by certain EU Member States – a 70 to 100% total cut in emissions before 2050 – is unlikely to achieve consensus support.”

Poulsson remarked: “While ICS does not fully agree with them in every respect, alternative proposals made by China and Japan merit serious consideration and could form the basis of a possible compromise.

“China in particular seems to have made a real effort to move away from its previous opposition to establishing CO2 reduction goals for the sector’s total emissions. If EU nations want a global agreement they should acknowledge this by similarly modifying their own positions.”

Meanwhile, ICS suggests that if IMO was to set an initial objective of cutting the sector’s total CO2 emissions by, for example, 50%, rather than 70 to 100%, this would still require a major improvement in ship efficiency over ‘business as usual’.

When account is taken of the anticipated growth in maritime trade, ICS says this will still only be possible with the widespread use of zero CO2 fuels.

“A mid-century objective similar to that proposed by Japan – which might also enjoy support from nations like China if EU nations were willing to compromise – would still provide a compelling signal to the industry,” says Poulsson.

“This should also be sufficient to stimulate the development of zero CO2 fuels leading to a 100% CO2 reduction in line with the ambitious vision which IMO must agree.”

ICS and other industry associations have previously proposed the need for an ambitious vision in the IMO strategy, making it clear that the ultimate goal is the elimination of all CO2 emissions from international shipping (i.e. 100% reduction) sometime between 2050 and 2100, or as soon as the worldwide availability of zero CO2 fuels makes this possible.

In advance of zero CO2 fuels becoming available globally, the industry has also proposed that IMO should adopt the following objectives:

Objective 1 – to maintain international shipping’s annual total CO2 emissions below 2008 levels;
Objective 2 – to reduce CO2 emissions per tonne-km, as an average across international shipping, by at least 50% by 2050, compared to 2008; and
Objective 3 – reduce international shipping's total annual CO2 emissions by an agreed percentage by 2050, compared to 2008, as a point on a continuing trajectory of CO2 emissions reduction.

Photo credit: International Maritime Organization
Published: 27 March, 2018

Shipping Corridor

Industry partners launch Brazil-Belgium e-fuel green shipping corridor initiative

A new consortium facilitated by the Global Maritime Forum and RMI will work to establish a green shipping corridor between the Port of Açu in Brazil and the Port of Antwerp-Bruges in Belgium.

Published

2 weeks ago

June 5, 2026

Admin

A new consortium facilitated by the Global Maritime Forum and RMI will work to establish a green shipping corridor between the Port of Açu in Brazil and the Port of Antwerp-Bruges in Belgium, according to Global Maritime Forum on Thursday (4 June).

In addition to the port teams on both ends of the corridor, the consortium includes HIF Global, Fuella, NYK Line, Höegh Autoliners, and Wallenius Wilhelmsen.

The consortium will assess infrastructure, vessels, and business models to create a roadmap for transporting zero-carbon fuels produced in Açu, such as e-ammonia or e-methanol. The transport itself would also be powered by the same zero- or near-zero-emission fuels.

“We’re thrilled to be working with these partners to take these important steps towards Brazil’s e-fuel production and bunkering opportunity, whilst supporting the growing demand for e-fuels in Europe,” said Eleanor Wells, a senior project manager at the Global Maritime Forum.

The new consortium builds on a pre-feasibility study developed by RMI and the Global Maritime Forum in November 2025.

The study highlighted the competitive projected costs of e-fuel produced in Açu, due to Brazilian policies supportive of green hydrogen production, the country’s largely renewable electricity grid, its abundance of renewable energy sources, and a relatively low cost of capital. A 2024 report from the same two organisations, Oceans of Opportunity, identified the Port of Açu as a high-potential e-fuel export hub.

Green shipping corridors are dedicated trade routes where the feasibility of zero-emission shipping is catalysed by public and private action. These routes are seen as central to delivering on the shipping industry’s goal of having zero-emission fuels account for 5% of all fuels by 2030.

While green corridors have rapidly expanded in popularity worldwide, and a handful of initiatives have now reached the realisation stage, the most recent edition of the Annual Progress Report on Green Shipping Corridors warned that progress is being stalled by a ‘feasibility wall’ created by the cost gap between conventional and zero-emission fuels.

The Global Maritime Forum and RMI will continue to facilitate the realisation of the Açu-Antwerp green corridor, with work already moving at pace to progress beyond pre-feasibility and develop a feasibility analysis for the corridor. The feasibility analysis is expected to be published by the end of the year, with the consortium meeting regularly in the meantime.

Photo credit: william william on Unsplash
Published: 5 June, 2026

Emissions reporting

StormGeo and OceanScore link emissions data, compliance workflows

Cooperation combines StormGeo’s expertise in operational vessel and emissions data with OceanScore’s expertise in emissions compliance workflows across EU ETS, FuelEU Maritime and UK ETS requirements.

Published

2 weeks ago

June 4, 2026

Admin

StormGeo and OceanScore link emissions data, compliance workflows

Weather intelligence and decision support solutions provider StormGeo and Hamburg-based technology platform OceanScore on Wednesday (3 June) said they have deepened their ongoing cooperation through the signing of a collaboration agreement during Posidonia 2026 in Athens on 2 June.

The cooperation combines StormGeo’s expertise in operational vessel and emissions data with OceanScore’s expertise in emissions compliance workflows across EU ETS, FuelEU Maritime and upcoming UK ETS requirements.

Together, the companies aim to help shipping companies seamlessly navigate increasing regulatory complexity more efficiently — from emissions reporting and data validation to compliance exposure management, pooling and financial settlement.

As emissions regulation becomes an increasingly important part of commercial shipping operations, the need for reliable operational data and streamlined compliance processes continues to grow. The cooperation between StormGeo and OceanScore is designed to support shipping companies with more connected, transparent and actionable processes across operational and commercial teams.

“From the outside, companies like StormGeo and OceanScore may sometimes be perceived as competitors because both operate around emissions and compliance workflows,” said Albrecht Grell, Managing Director at OceanScore.

“But in reality, the industry increasingly needs both perspectives working together: trusted operational emissions data on one side and commercial compliance execution on the other. Our cooperation reflects that shipping companies are no longer looking for isolated solutions — they need connected processes, automated across different systems and reliable decision-making throughout the full compliance chain.”

By connecting validated operational emissions data with commercial compliance management, the cooperation supports workflows across:

emissions reporting and validation
compliance management across EU ETS, FuelEU Maritime and upcoming UK ETS requirements
exposure visibility and cost transparency
pooling, settlement and financial processes

The cooperation also aims to improve commercial transparency and coordination across operational and commercial stakeholders.

“StormGeo plays a central role in helping shipping companies turn operational vessel and emissions data into trusted, decision-ready insights,” said Espen Martinsen, Chief Commercial Officer at StormGeo.

“As emissions regulations become more complex, this data is essential for transparent and efficient compliance management. By working with OceanScore, we can help customers connect StormGeo’s validated operational data with commercial compliance processes, creating a more integrated and practical approach to emissions management.”

The signing ceremony took place at the StormGeo booth during Posidonia 2026 in Athens and was attended by representatives from both companies.

Both companies expect the cooperation to continue evolving alongside upcoming regulatory developments, including FuelEU Maritime, EU ETS, the upcoming UK ETS and future emissions-related frameworks affecting global shipping.

Photo credit: StormGeo
Published: 4 June, 2026

Methanol

Seaspan and Hapag-Lloyd complete first of five methanol vessel retrofit

Following “Seaspan Yangtze”, the remaining vessels planned for retrofit under the methanol retrofit programme are “Seaspan Amazon”, “Seaspan Ganges”, “Seaspan Thames”, and “Seaspan Zambezi”.

Published

2 weeks ago

June 4, 2026

Admin

Seaspan and Hapag-Lloyd complete first of five methanol vessel retrofit

Seaspan Corporation (Seaspan) and Hapag-Lloyd on Wednesday (3 June) announced the successful completion of the first of the five vessel conversions under their methanol retrofit programme with the delivery of Seaspan Yangtze.

From the early SAVER (Seaspan Action for Vessel Energy Reduction) programme to today’s CleanBlue initiative, Seaspan has committed over USD 230 USD million across 86 vessels, executing more than 550 efficiency and retrofit projects.

Following Seaspan Yangtze, the remaining vessels planned for retrofit under the programme are Seaspan Amazon, Seaspan Ganges, Seaspan Thames, and Seaspan Zambezi. Each retrofit is expected to reduce well-to-wake CO₂e emissions by approximately 30,000 to 50,000 metric tonnes per vessel annually when operating on low-carbon methanol, while also extending vessel lifespan and enhancing fuel flexibility.

“Decarbonisation is not just about building the fleet of tomorrow, it is also about unlocking the full potential of the fleet we have today. Retrofitting and upgrades on existing fleets play a practical, immediate, and economical role in accelerating shipping’s decarbonization journey,” said Bing Chen, Chairman, President and CEO of Seaspan.

“Project SAVER CleanBlue highlights Seaspan’s strong customer partnerships, deep technical expertise, and unique platform integrated with JV partners, such as WattSpan Maritime Technology, in executing complex and large-scale retrofit projects.”

“The successful conversion of the Seaspan Yangtze together with the planned retrofit of its four sister vessels is another important step on our ambitious path towards net-zero fleet operations by 2045,” said Silke Lehmköster, Managing Director, Fleet, Hapag-Lloyd.

“Together with Seaspan, we are demonstrating that retrofitting existing vessels for low-carbon methanol can be a practical way to reduce emissions in shipping.”

Photo credit: Seaspan
Published: 4 June, 2026