Same Trade Lane, Different Footprint: Carrier Emissions Intensity Differs by Up to 35% on Major Container Routes

The report also shows why absolute emissions are a poor measure of efficiency. On the China/East Asia–Northern Europe trade, the carrier with the lowest emissions intensity, out of the three carriers examined, also recorded the highest average emissions per voyage, highlighting the importance of cargo volumes and vessel utilization when assessing environmental performance.

Based on an analysis of 83,817 voyages performed by 6,730 container-carrying vessels, the report examines how actual vessel operations, including sailing patterns, port stays, cargo utilization and vessel deployment, influence maritime emissions performance. The findings highlight the importance of looking beyond aggregate figures to understand the operational conditions shaping transportation efficiency.

Key findings from the report • Stable intensity masks diverging performance. Total emissions fell 1.9% year over year to 55.5 mn tonnes CO₂e while transport work rose 1.2% to 712 bn TEU-km. Average WtW intensity stayed broadly stable at 235.1 g CO₂e/TEU-km (+0.5%). Tracked voyages fell 2.8%, and average voyage duration rose to 5.3 days, the highest of the first three quarters of 2026.

• Five of six vessel-size categories improved their intensity, while Feeders continued to move in the opposite direction. Year-over-year improvements ranged from 3.4% for Panamax to 12.9% for VLCS, but Feeder intensity rose 1.3% to 285.9 g CO₂e/TEU-km. With Feeders accounting for 65% of all voyages, the findings illustrate why a broadly stable fleet-wide average can conceal different performance trends across vessel categories.

This story was originally published by Hellenic Shipping News. Read the full story at Hellenic Shipping News →