Enabling net-zero shipping: An expert review-based agenda for emerging techno-economic and policy research

The topic of net-zero shipping is emerging as a global priority. Given the projected increase in the shipping sector’s contributions to climate change, understanding the emerging research challenges for enabling net-zero shipping is critical. We address this research need by outlining key techno-economic and policy research priorities for achieving effective and equitable net-zero shipping. We use a three-step approach to achieve it. We begin by translating contemporary media issues to techno-economic and policy research challenges, followed by corroborating these identified research challenges with academic literature, and finally prioritizing them by consulting an array of maritime experts in policy, technology, fuel, and infrastructure fields. Our results delineate eleven overarching themes, among which the top four prioritized research challenges based on expert input are: (i) cost-benefit analyses of port initiatives aimed at facilitating maritime climate action; (ii) the investment and techno-economic aspects of onboard carbon capture and alternative shipping fuels, along with green shipping corridors’ potential to facilitate alternative fuel adoption, and (iii & iv) the complex interaction of climate, economic, and socio-political factors in shipping carbon pricing implementation as part of ongoing negotiations at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and shipping’s inclusion in the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS). The outlined priorities are significant as they could guide future industrial and academic research in generating actionable recommendations for policymakers and industry stakeholders, thereby expediting the formulation of focused approaches for an effective and fair transition to net-zero shipping. In terms of future research, the dynamic nature of emerging issues in achieving net-zero shipping suggests that findings may necessitate ongoing updates.