The future of ports and related infrastructure

Aerial view of maritime ports and wind turbines.

Maritime shipping is critical to world trade while decarbonization is critical to protecting our planet.

It is estimated that over 80 percent of all goods are transported by sea. The global shipping industry emits around 940 million tonnes of CO₂ a year. That’s around 2.5 percent of the world’s total annual CO₂ emissions! If we continue at this rate, the shipping industry is projected to contribute 17 percent to global CO₂ emissions by 2050. Much of these emissions come from fuel combustion in the ships themselves, but ports play a part as well.

So, not only do we need to fuel our fleets with cleaner fuels. Ports and related infrastructure need to be decarbonized as soon as possible. But how do we go about doing that?

Infographic showing the future of powering ports: Electrification, creating natural barriers, microgrids, fuel bunkering, cold ironing, and planning & scheduling.

By the numbers

<80%

of all goods are transported by sea

1.1+

billion tonnes were shipped internationally in 2019

124+

countries with commitments to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050

of the world's 20 largest container ports are located in regions which do not have commitments in place for carbon neutrality by 2050

of the top 10 largest ports are in regions with commitments in place for carbon neutrality by 2050