CE Delft: Shipping can halve emissions by 2030 using slower speeds, wind and green fuels

The global maritime industry can cut emissions by nearly 50% by the end of the decade according to a new study by CE Delft, ahead of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) meeting this week on climate targets to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from ships.

The analysis indicates that ships can achieve a 28-47% emissions reduction by 2030 compared to 2008 levels by deploying 5-10% zero or near-zero emission fuels, wind-assist technologies, and by ‘climate optimising’ the speed of ships.

Ship types where speed cuts result in GHG emissions reductions would need to drop their speed by 20-30%, while taking into account that the fleet will need to increase to provide the same amount of transport work.