Shipping Carbon Emissions and Decarbonization Paths: Advances and Challenges

Dear Colleagues,

The shipping industry emits an average of 1 billion tons of carbon annually, accounting for 3% of global anthropogenic carbon emissions. After the Paris Agreement set the temperature control target, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) led the establishment of a global system of rules for reducing shipping emissions. At the regional level, policies such as the EU ETS and FuelEU Maritime have also come into effect, translating policy texts into actual financial burdens for enterprises. Against this backdrop, the shipping industry needs to overcome the decarbonization bottleneck through technological innovation and achieve a balance between environmental responsibility and industry sustainable development.

This Special Issue aims to respond to the requirements of global climate governance, implement the IMO's net-zero framework and regional emission-reduction policies, and contribute to achieving the shipping industry's net-zero emissions target by 2050. Based on multi-scenario carbon-emission modeling and predictions, it provides a scientific basis for selecting decarbonization technologies, formulating policies, and planning infrastructure, thereby enhancing the accuracy of transformation decisions. For integrating insights from engineering, environmental science, economics, and policy, the Special Issue will provide a comprehensive overview of feasible decarbonization strategies for the global shipping industry.

The focus areas include, but are not limited to: prediction of shipping carbon emissions, modeling maritime GHG reduction measures, substitution of zero-carbon fuels, improvement of ship energy efficiency, green energy utilization, carbon capture and storage, as well as carbon footprint accounting and certification, and intelligent operation and maintenance of low-carbon shipping.

Prof. Dr. Zhen Tian
Guest Editor

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