Limiting greenhouse gas emissions in the maritime transport sector

Greenhouse gas emissions from the maritime transport sector account for almost 3% of global emissions. The Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC), part of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), decides on important measures the maritime sector must take globally to reduce emissions from maritime transport. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is the focus of research in the maritime industry. The energy efficiency of new and existing ships, the ship index, and the carbon intensity of ships play an essential role in reducing emissions. These indices indicate the amount of CO 2 E each ship emits per ton of cargo transported per nautical mile, measured as transport efficiency in terms of environmental sustainability. There are various methods or approaches to reduce these indices. Older ships can reduce the emission index by simply slowing down the engine. Therefore, diverse engine power restrictions are proposed, and operators must report their performance daily, focusing on reporting in EU waters. The article gives an overview of the legislation, the alternative fuels initiative and some results on measuring transport efficiency. Ultimately, the most efficient method currently available for reducing emissions is to reduce the propulsion power used on board the ship in combination with the optimization of logistics and transport processes, the results of which are to be demonstrated analytically.