The conflict in the Red Sea that started in November 2023 has had a significant impact on carbon emissions in ocean container shipping. Data shows that global ocean container shipping emitted all-time high carbon emissions in 2024, mainly due to the conflict.
Global container emissions increased 14 per cent in 2024 to 240.6 million tonnes, surpassing the previous record of 218.5 million tonnes in 2021. This is because ships are sailing longer distances around the Cape of Good Hope, following the escalation of conflict in the Red Sea in December 2023, according to data released by Norway-based Xeneta and Sweden’s Marine Benchmark.
The biggest increase in carbon emissions came from the largest ships. Emissions from ships between 14,500 and 20,000 twenty foot equivalent units (TEUs) hit 24.2 million tonnes in 2024, up by 7.3 million tonnes (43 per cent), compared to 2023. Ships over 20,000 TEU also saw large increases, up 35 per cent from 2023 to 19.6 million tonnes.
A new record high in carbon emissions is the inevitable outcome of these diversions, both in terms of the increase in transport work and the record-high demand for laden containers being moved in 2024, as shippers responded to the Red Sea crisis by frontloading imports. Overall, transport work (tonnes of cargo moved multiplied by nautical miles sailed) increased 18 per cent in 2024, the report said.
Across ship sizes the increase in emissions in 2024 is within a few percentage points of the increase in transport work. For example, ships between 14,500 and 20,000 TEUs saw transport work increase 43 per cent, in line with the growth in emissions.
This significant increase in transport work has, in part, been made possible by fleet growth of 26 per cent between December 2023 and December 2024 for ships with capacity between 14,500 and 20,000 TEU, the report said.
The record-high emissions data is a timely reminder of the colossal task at hand, following a meeting of the International Maritime Organization’s Marine Environment Protection Committee in London from April 7 to 11. An agreement was reached during the meeting on specific reduction targets on fuel intensity in container shipping, as well as the financial penalties for non-compliance, the report said.
Published on April 20, 2025
The conflict in the Red Sea that started in November 2023 has had a significant impact on carbon emissions in ocean container shipping. Data shows that global ocean container shipping emitted all-time high carbon emissions in 2024, mainly due to the conflict.
Global container emissions increased 14 per cent in 2024 to 240.6 million tonnes, surpassing the previous record of 218.5 million tonnes in 2021. This is because ships are sailing longer distances around the Cape of Good Hope, following the escalation of conflict in the Red Sea in December 2023, according to data released by Norway-based Xeneta and Sweden’s Marine Benchmark.
The biggest increase in carbon emissions came from the largest ships. Emissions from ships between 14,500 and 20,000 twenty foot equivalent units (TEUs) hit 24.2 million tonnes in 2024, up by 7.3 million tonnes (43 per cent), compared to 2023. Ships over 20,000 TEU also saw large increases, up 35 per cent from 2023 to 19.6 million tonnes.
A new record high in carbon emissions is the inevitable outcome of these diversions, both in terms of the increase in transport work and the record-high demand for laden containers being moved in 2024, as shippers responded to the Red Sea crisis by frontloading imports. Overall, transport work (tonnes of cargo moved multiplied by nautical miles sailed) increased 18 per cent in 2024, the report said.
Across ship sizes the increase in emissions in 2024 is within a few percentage points of the increase in transport work. For example, ships between 14,500 and 20,000 TEUs saw transport work increase 43 per cent, in line with the growth in emissions.
This significant increase in transport work has, in part, been made possible by fleet growth of 26 per cent between December 2023 and December 2024 for ships with capacity between 14,500 and 20,000 TEU, the report said.
The record-high emissions data is a timely reminder of the colossal task at hand, following a meeting of the International Maritime Organization’s Marine Environment Protection Committee in London from April 7 to 11. An agreement was reached during the meeting on specific reduction targets on fuel intensity in container shipping, as well as the financial penalties for non-compliance, the report said.
Published on April 20, 2025
It is a long established fact that a reader will be distracted by the readable content of a page when looking at its layout. The point of using Lorem Ipsum is that it has a more-or-less normal distribution of letters, as opposed to using ‘Content here, content here’, making it look like readable English. Many desktop publishing packages and web page editors now use Lorem Ipsum as their default model text, and a search for ‘lorem ipsum’ will uncover many web sites still in their infancy.
It is a long established fact that a reader will be distracted by the readable content of a page when looking at its layout. The point of using Lorem Ipsum is that it has a more-or-less normal distribution of letters, as opposed to using ‘Content here, content here’, making it look like readable English. Many desktop publishing packages and web page editors now use Lorem Ipsum as their default model text, and a search for ‘lorem ipsum’ will uncover many web sites still in their infancy.
The point of using Lorem Ipsum is that it has a more-or-less normal distribution of letters, as opposed to using ‘Content here, content here’, making
The point of using Lorem Ipsum is that it has a more-or-less normal distribution of letters, as opposed to using ‘Content here, content here’, making it look like readable English. Many desktop publishing packages and web page editors now use Lorem Ipsum as their default model text, and a search for ‘lorem ipsum’ will uncover many web sites still in their infancy.
It is a long established fact that a reader will be distracted by the readable content of a page when looking at its layout. The point of using Lorem Ipsum is that it has a more-or-less normal distribution
Copyright BlazeThemes. 2023
