Sustainably in - 3 April 2025
Sailing forward with wind power - Zero CO₂ emissions
The ocean drives the global economy - but pays the price. Time to set a new course.
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“The sea is a flat expanse that forces us to gaze deep within.”
- Marguerite Yourcenar
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It’s evening. The workday is over, and I decide to stop by and visit my dad. I find him at his desk, as usual, immersed in one of his many passions. He has quite a few: photography, target shooting, motorcycles and engines, birdwatching… and of course, the sea - with his little boat that turned every outing into a chance to discover something new.
On the table lies an old nautical chart, open and marked with pencil: traces of past routes, familiar harbors, and a few unexpected detours — his “discoveries", as he calls them. When Dad tells me about his adventures, he speaks with a calm passion that stays with you. Listening to him feels good: it reminds me that even my own work — full of data and strategy - is driven by a simple yet powerful desire: to take care. Not just to navigate, but to understand where we’re heading, and what impact we’re having along the way.
Because that deep blue, which fascinates and carries us far, is also a fragile system under pressure, calling for attention and change. The maritime sector is the beating heart of global trade, but also one of the most challenging fronts in the ecological transition. And it is right there - between the mapped-out routes and the ones still to be imagined - that a crucial part of our future is taking shape.
Today, over 80% of global trade travels by sea. It’s a vast, efficient, and -at least on the surface - silent infrastructure. Yet maritime transport accounts for about 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions - more than all of Germany - and could rise to 10–17% by 2050 if left unchecked. And it’s not just about CO₂: ships also emit sulfur oxides, particulate matter, and underwater noise pollution. It’s estimated that toxic pollutants from ships are responsible for around 250,000 premature deaths and over 6 million cases of childhood asthma every year.
"Every route can be redrawn — if we have the courage to change course.”
But why is decarbonizing the shipping sector so difficult?
The problem is structural. While electrifying propulsion isn't necessarily hard, energy storage is the real challenge: voyages last for weeks, and current batteries are still too bulky. As a result, highly polluting fuels are still used - and operating in international waters means looser regulations and weaker controls. Meanwhile, demand keeps growing: between 2013 and 2018, emissions from the sector rose by 10%, and IRENA - the International Renewable Energy Agency - expects maritime traffic to increase by up to 115% by 2050.
On top of this global pressure come local vulnerabilities. The Mediterranean Sea, for example, is one of the busiest shipping zones in the world — but also one of the most fragile. Semi-enclosed and home to unique biodiversity, it now faces a devastating and largely invisible threat: oil pollution.
Every year, according to ISPRA, approximately 600,000 tonnes of hydrocarbons are spilled into the sea.
From the Haven disaster off the coast of Genoa in 1991 (144,000 tonnes) to the still all-too-common illegal discharges, this sea continues to pay a steep price — often overlooked, as if its fragility were somehow less urgent, less worthy of attention.
Fortunately, remote sensing through satellites and radar now allows for more timely and accurate monitoring, helping to plan targeted interventions to contain the damage.
"The Mediterranean is a shared treasure: protecting it is a journey we can take together."
And yet, solutions do exist. Some are surprisingly simple - like slowing down. Slow steaming - sailing at reduced speeds - can cut fuel consumption by 35–60%. Others are technologically fascinating: modern sails and Flettner rotors (which use the Magnus effect), air lubrication systems, shore power electrification (cold ironing) to eliminate emissions while docked.
Even digital traffic coordination systems are emerging to reduce idle waiting times in ports and minimize energy waste.
But real course changes need a compass - and that compass is regulation. The most significant shift is the inclusion of maritime transport in the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) starting in 2024. In addition, the IMO, International Maritime Organization, has finally updated its climate strategy: net-zero emissions by 2050, with intermediate goals of -20% by 2030 and -70% by 2040. However, the roadmap on how to reach these goals is still missing key details.
One telling example is the cruise industry. These giants of marine tourism are four times more polluting per passenger than air travel (in terms of CO₂ emissions).
Still, change is underway: by 2027, 26 new cruise ships under CLIA (Cruise Lines International Association) will be powered by LNG (liquefied natural gas), 174 will be equipped with shore-side electricity connections, and 81% of the global fleet will have advanced wastewater treatment systems. It’s not enough, not yet, but it’s a start.
“Every innovation at sea brings benefits on land. Supporting the transition is a choice that concerns us all".
Of course, sustainability on the open sea isn’t achieved with a single maneuver. It requires technical innovation - but also bold political choices. A clear example is the proposal, backed by several countries including Denmark, Greece, Norway, Cyprus, Spain, New Zealand, Kenya, and the Marshall Islands, to introduce a global tax on ship emissions.
The goal? To create an international fund capable of generating up to $100 billion a year to support low-emission fuels and clean technologies. With recent support from Panama and Liberia, the share of the global fleet represented by countries in favor has now reached 66% - and the flat tax on shipping is becoming a real possibility.
This is no longer just about intentions, but about the first steps toward a new kind of ocean governance.
You know what? As I look at that old nautical chart, I wonder if the navigators of the future will still follow the same routes - or if, at last, they’ll have rewritten them.
With courage, and with respect for the sea.
Non ti posso guardare così perché
Loredana Bertè
Chiara PontoniSustainability Manager Gesteco