If shipping were a country, it would be the world’s sixth largest emitter of CO₂. The International Maritime Organisation has set a target which, if met, would cut CO₂ emissions from the shipping sector in half by 2050. This article provides an overview of where things stand. It explores issues such as comparisons of emissions from cargo vessels with other transport modes as well as drop-in replacements for heavy fuel oil, ‘electro-fuels’, bio-LNG and innovations using sail. Yet fuels like e-methanol and bio-LNG are unlikely to be a long-term solution because their CO₂ emissions, in purely tank-to-wake terms, are much the same as today’s fossil fuels, despite ultimately being carbon neutral, and more practical alternatives to hydrogen. The author concludes that “if true progress is to be made, then, the maritime industry will have to dig deep and examine the whole picture.” Click here