Seafarers in shipping’s decarbonization: role transformation, protection deficits, and just transition pathways

The shipping industry is undergoing a critical phase of green transition, in which seafarers constitute the core driving force of decarbonization. As this transition deepens, seafarers’ roles are undergoing a dual transformation: from reliance on traditional mechanical labor to functions empowered by digital and intelligent technologies, and from exclusively shipboard operations to integrated cooperation with shore-based control and support. However, seafarers are confronted with multiple protection deficits throughout the green transition, with issues of energy justice becoming increasingly prominent. Specifically, complex combinations of alternative fuels intensify seafarers’ operational burdens, safety risks associated with clean fuels threaten their physical and mental health, and the fragmented landscape of global emissions regulations significantly heightens their exposure to legal liability. In response, this paper advocates for the Just Transition principle as the guiding framework: adopting fixed-route operation models to alleviate seafarers’ fuel-handling pressures, implementing specialized training schemes to mitigate health risks, and promoting a cautious application of criminal liability and reasonable exemptions for seafarers within evolving decarbonization-related liability regimes. This paper provides a valuable contribution to advancing the global shipping decarbonization process while balancing environmental sustainability with the protection of seafarers’ rights and interests.