An integrated perspective on the decarbonization of shipping
As climate change escalates, the imperative to decarbonize all human activities intensifies1. In the shipping industry, the transition from oil products to biofuels and e-fuels (or electrofuels) is essential for deep emissions cutbacks. This transition requires developing the production capacity of low-carbon fuels and alternative vessel motorization. By contrast, techno-economic challenges arise from the high diversity of candidate low-carbon fuels, their specific drawbacks compared with oil2 and the relatively young age of the current shipping fleet3, which could lead to substantial lock-in effects. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has reached agreements to reduce or eliminate shipping emissions by 2050, yet its ambitions arguably lack a comprehensive global energy system perspective. Although some studies have delved into scenario analyses for shipping emissions, they often overlook the broader context of climate action. Notably, economy-wide integrated assessment models (IAMs) — the backbone of IPCC mitigation reports — have historically sidelined the modelling of shipping.
An integrated perspective on the decarbonization of shipping. Nat. Clim. Chang. 14, 557–558 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-024-02010-5