In the first half of this year, there was an alarming increase in carbon emissions from maritime shipping, reaching 450 million tons, an increase of 23 million tons over the same period last year. This is due to ships having to follow longer routes to avoid attacks in the Red Sea, which greatly increases fuel consumption.

These figures, issued by Marine Benchmark, a shipping data analysis company, indicate the major challenges facing the shipping industry in achieving its climate goals. With carbon emissions increasing by 6%, equivalent to the annual emissions of six coal-fired power plants, achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, as set by the International Maritime Organization, seems like an unattainable goal.

Container ships are most responsible for this increase, as their emissions increased by 15% during the last period.

Despite the maritime sector’s commitments to strive toward reducing its emissions, these recent developments show that external factors such as geopolitical conflicts are hindering its progress, and overcoming these challenges requires international cooperation between governments, the shipping industry, researchers, and investors.