A Greener, Smarter Future?
Alternative fuels for sustainable shipping
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) estimates that 3% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions originate from international trade shipping. It also predicts that those emissions will grow by between 90-130% by 2050, compared with 2008 levels, unless the industry moves quickly to decarbonize. That makes a widespread move to carbon-efficient fuels a critical step for the maritime logistics industry’s long-term environmental sustainability.
In April 2025, the IMO approved new GHG requirements, establishing a pricing and reward mechanism for maritime carbon emissions. Jaime Benlloch, a partner at Boston Consulting Group, examined those new measures. While praising the IMO’s intentions to make decarbonization efforts more “tangible,” Benlloch also underlined that the price of non-compliance would be worrying for the shipping industry.
Operators would pay US$100 per tonne of GHG emissions above the IMO’s “direct compliance target,” and a further US$380 per tonne for breaches of the more stringent “base target.” Amongst other concerns, Benlloch also highlighted that the US has withdrawn itself from the agreement – with potential for geopolitical or trade ramifications, and that would-be incentive payments are yet to be quantified.
Examining the problem from an operational perspective, Matthias Dümmer emphasised that ships are already moving to alternative fuels or are at least prepared for their use. While liquefied natural gas had been a leading lower-emission candidate in recent years, since 2022 a variety of new options have emerged. With methanol growing rapidly in utilization, and many vessels able to employ more than one alternative, Dümmer suggested: “Shipowners are hedging their bets on different fuels.”
“Under Donald Trump, there is less U.S. legal pressure for sustainability. Previously, businesses would make sustainability-focused investments, but we are now seeing a move back to thinking purely in business terms.”
Guilherme Baida, Managing Editor, Latin America Chemicals and Polymers, S&P Global
New efficiency, in everything: Artificial intelligence
During the conference, Benlloch also presented on potential applications of artificial intelligence (AI) in the shipping industry. He suggested five key challenges maritime transport faces which could be addressed by utilizing AI: inefficient programming, port and canal congestion, market volatility, increasing compliance standards, and limited supply chain resilience. Across each of these, next-generation AI-powered methods including route optimization, predictive analysis, automated reporting or digital twins could be employed to tackle complex and dynamic problems and maximize shipping value, Benlloch put forward.
One barrier Benlloch identified to the successful implementation of AI in shipping was a shortage of global data science talent: “The logistics and petrochemical sectors are not the only ones searching for uses of AI. All industries are competing for the same skillsets. Although data science and AI are some of the fastest-growing career paths, talent is still scarce today.”
The deployment of high-technology is an area in which Latin America’s maritime logistics facilities are sorely lacking. Ricardo Sánchez, in his interview with GBR during the meeting, highlighted the scale of the technology gap facing Latin America and the Caribbean’s ports: “Out of nearly 600 ports in the region, only five have any level of automation. Among the top 40 container ports in Latin America and the Caribbean, very few match the level of digitalization seen in developed economies.”
Infrastructural upgrades and development required to catch up would require “large-scale solutions,” yet face a “persistent lack of investment,” Sánchez concluded.
Article header by Zdeněk Macháček at Unsplash