Without rigidly enforced penalties for owners who evade best practice, those at the sharp end will continue to suffer

There are 75 tankers now registered with 17 flags of African countries, or Pacific or Caribbean islands with little technical expertise or large vessels in their fleets, Lloyd’s List Intelligence data shows

The transition to zero-carbon shipping is riddled with uncertainties, most outside of the control of shipping companies and the industry itself, so why do so many shipping executives seem so certain about timelines and fuel strategy? ‘This is not a challenge where success is measured by the best soundbite or the best aspirational goal or date you set yourself,’ counters Bud Darr, MSC’s executive vice-president of maritime policy and government affairs in this week’s podcast.

Pressure is growing for more ambitious decarbonisation targets. Efficiency looks doable, and there are other, smaller ways shipping can better measure and reduce its emissions. But the bigger goal of future fuels looks vexing as ever

Kenya wants its waters excluded from the Indian Ocean High Risk Area drawn up in response to Somali piracy in 2009. It has complained the designation hurts its economy despite its waters being safe from piracy

COP26 in Glasgow may judge kindly what shipping has been able to achieve since the 2015 Paris Agreement. Mounting pressure on governments to accelerate decarbonisation action means the sector should be ready too for stricter demands in the fallout

The majority of the global fleet is, however, going to have to take action to comply with incoming regulations, with engine power limitations looking likely to be the most widely used tool

A ship’s operating profile is the best guide to which technology is most suitable. However, considerations such as charterer’s expectation and commercial objectives play a significant part

Black carbon pollution in the Arctic makes up a growing share of shipping’s contribution to climate change. Regulation is still far off, despite a decade of lobbying. But tackling black carbon offers shipping a relatively easy way to make a meaningful difference — and to be seen to do so