Shipping, Carbon and the Rules of the Game

A maritime voyage connects different responsibilities for greenhouse gas emissions. The shipowner operates the vessel, the terminal handles the cargo, and the exporter or importer contracts the transport. All are part of the same chain, but each organization needs to understand how those activities fit into its emissions inventory and which decisions can help reduce them.

This is the context in which DatamarLab operates. The Datamar initiative is building a Collaborative Decision-Making model, known as CDM, for South American maritime transport. The goal is to bring shipowners, shippers, terminals and regulators together around independent, scientifically grounded data.

With an initial focus on decarbonization, the project seeks to turn information on voyages, vessels and cargoes into knowledge that can guide operational decisions, assess alternatives and help companies prepare for emissions monitoring and disclosure requirements.

Three scopes, different responsibilities

The scopes organize emissions according to their relationship with a company. Scope 1 covers direct emissions from sources owned or controlled by the organization; scope 2 covers emissions associated with the generation of purchased and consumed energy; and scope 3 covers other indirect emissions across the value chain. The GHG Protocol is one of the main international references for this type of accounting.

The same emission may appear under scope 1 for the company operating a vessel and under scope 3 for the company contracting the transport. These are different perspectives on the same activity. When calculating the chain’s total emissions, however, those records should not simply be added together, as that would double-count the physical impact.

For DatamarLab, connecting these perspectives requires understanding how much the vessel emitted, which factors determined that result and how emissions should be allocated among the cargoes transported.

Shipowners and operators: understanding voyage emissions

For shipowners and operators, scope 1 includes the fuel burned by vessels included within the boundaries of their inventory. This covers the main engine, auxiliary engines and boilers during navigation, port calls and waiting periods.

Distance traveled is only one of the variables that influence consumption. Speed, draft, vessel characteristics, cargo profile and time spent in port also affect emissions. As a result, two voyages covering similar distances can have different carbon footprints.

This is one of DatamarLab’s areas of work: analyzing each voyage by leg and by consumption component, identifying differences that estimates based only on distance or broad averages may fail to capture.

Scope 2 covers energy purchased and consumed by the company, such as electricity used in offices and facilities. Depending on the boundaries of the inventory, it may also include electricity supplied to the vessel while it is berthed.

Scope 3 includes emissions from the production and supply of fuels before they are used on board. This stage is known as well-to-tank. Its analysis complements the assessment of emissions generated by the use of fuel on the vessel.

This distinction helps evaluate energy alternatives: the climate benefit of a fuel depends both on its performance on board and on the conditions under which it was produced and made available.

Ports and terminals: electrification and operational coordination

At ports and terminals, scope 1 includes fuel consumed by owned or controlled equipment, such as yard vehicles, cargo-handling machinery and diesel generators.

Scope 2 is related to purchased electricity used for cranes, facilities, lighting and refrigerated containers. Replacing diesel equipment with electric alternatives reduces direct combustion, but makes the origin of electricity and energy efficiency even more relevant to the environmental result.

The supply of shore-side electricity to berthed vessels, known as shore power or cold ironing, can also reduce the use of onboard generators. The climate benefit depends on the source of electricity, while accounting for it requires distinguishing the energy consumed by the terminal from the energy supplied to the ship.

Scope 3 includes other value-chain emissions, according to the organization’s activities and the boundaries of its inventory. Including emissions from ships, carriers and service providers requires consistent criteria for how those operations relate to the port or terminal.

The port sector’s contribution to decarbonization also depends on operational coordination. Better planning of arrivals, berth availability and cargo handling can reduce vessel waiting times and fuel consumption.

This interdependence is at the heart of DatamarLab’s collaborative model: using data to understand how a decision at the port can influence vessel emissions and, consequently, the footprint of the goods being transported.

Exporters, importers and freight forwarders: measuring each shipment’s footprint

Exporters, importers and freight forwarders also have their own emissions. Scope 1 may include fuels used in vehicles and equipment under their control, while scope 2 covers purchased energy for their facilities.

When they use third-party maritime transport, the emissions from that service fall under scope 3. The challenge is determining what share of the voyage corresponds to each shipment.

A single vessel carries goods for many customers, with different weights, volumes, destinations and requirements. Refrigerated containers, for example, require energy to maintain temperature throughout the journey. These characteristics need to be considered when allocating emissions.

DatamarLab works precisely at the connection between vessel operations and the cargo transported. Data from bills of lading, drafts and port call times makes it possible to detail the voyage and support the allocation of emissions among shipments.

For foreign trade companies, this information can help respond to customer requests, track environmental targets and assess logistics alternatives using more consistent criteria.

Decarbonization rules increase the importance of data

Scope-based accounting and regulatory obligations serve different purposes. Scopes organize a company’s inventory; each regulation defines which activities are covered, who must report information and which obligations must be met.

In the European Union, the EU ETS emissions trading system began covering maritime transport in 2024. The obligation was introduced gradually: 40% of covered emissions for 2024, 70% for 2025 and 100% from 2026 onward, with allowances surrendered the following year. These percentages apply to emissions covered by the system’s rules, not necessarily to the entire international voyage.

FuelEU Maritime, applicable since 2025, sets reduction targets for the greenhouse gas intensity of energy used on board, considering the life cycle of fuels. From 2030, it also requires the use of shore-side electricity or alternative zero-emission technologies for container ships and passenger vessels covered by the regulation while berthed at the European ports specified in the rules, subject to the applicable exceptions.

In Brazil, Law No. 15,042/2024 established the Brazilian Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading System, known as SBCE. The law provides for phased implementation, and its applicability should be monitored according to the regulations that apply to specific activities and emission sources.

For South America’s maritime chain, this scenario reinforces the need for traceable data and transparent methodologies capable of supporting both emissions management and the assessment of the commercial effects of these rules.

From the real voyage to decision-ready information

DatamarLab’s proof of concept was developed using a real voyage by the M/V EVER FAME, a container ship operated by Evergreen, on a route between the East Coast of South America and Singapore.

The work used Datamar operational data to model emissions by voyage leg, considering the main engine, auxiliary engines, refrigerated containers and boiler. The analysis covered nine fuel and speed scenarios, as well as the allocation of 1,177 bills of lading.

The study showed how route profile, cargo characteristics and operational conditions can produce meaningful differences in carbon footprint. With this approach, the project seeks to explain the factors that influence emissions and enable comparison between alternatives.

The research is being expanded to additional vessels, with results expected in a scientific article and an Executive Report.

Science and collaboration to support decarbonization

DatamarLab also maintains a collaboration with the USP RCGI Carbon Registry to develop Monitoring, Reporting and Verification methodologies, known as MRV, for the maritime sector. The goal is to strengthen the scientific basis of the analyses and investigate their application to emissions measurement and monitoring requirements.

This foundation connects the needs of the three groups in the chain: understanding vessel consumption, identifying efficiency opportunities at ports and providing greater clarity on the transport footprint of goods.

Through the Pioneer Sponsors program, participating companies can contribute to the project’s next priorities, gain early access to the Executive Report and be recognized as founding sponsors of the initiative.

By connecting science, data and decisions, DatamarLab seeks to offer an independent reference so that South American maritime transport can advance in decarbonization with consistent information and collaboration among its participants.

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