Official EU reporting shows that Europe’s shipping emissions are now higher than before the pandemic. Cargo and container ships make up the lion’s share of shipping emissions, but LNG-carriers and cruise ships are the main drivers of increased emissions.
European shipping emissions grew 3% in 2022 as the industry nudges closer to pre-pandemic levels. Even when the global economy isn’t running very hot, European shipping still emitted over 135 million tonnes of CO2.
The number of ships stopping at European ports grew significantly in 2022.
Cargo ships were responsible for the bulk of emissions. MSC, the world’s largest shipping company, was the continent’s biggest carbon emitter. The Swiss-based giant pumped out nearly 10 million tonnes of CO2 last year making it Europe’s 11th biggest polluter. MSC was followed by CMA CGM, Maersk, COSCO and Hapag-Lloyd in the list of shipping emitters.
Cruise ship emissions in 2022 more than double what they were last year after a year of disruptions to international travel.
Containerships - used to going as fast as possible without regard for sustainable speeds - continue to pollute significantly more than other ship types
The major cargo shipping trend in 2022 was the increased volume of liquified natural gas (LNG) shipments, which grew 60% last year. As Europe ramped up sanctions on Russian oil, Europe’s import push for LNG drove a massive increase in seaborne emissions.
Carbon pollution (along with SOx, NOx and PM 2.5) at ports increased slightly in 2022. This could be easily be fixed by greater shore-side electrification. Without stricter regulations, shipping companies will continue to spurn investments in efficiency and green fuels. We will continue to monitor European shipping emissions to make sure shipping companies are held to account.