Sea Cargo Charter Signatories Cut Emissions but Lag IMO Targets

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  • 2025 SCC Report Highlights Progress, But Gaps Remain.
  • Emission Intensity Drops as Data Transparency Improves.
  • Sea Cargo Charter Signatories Face Operational Challenges.

The Sea Cargo Charter (SCC), a global initiative focused on climate alignment and spearheaded by the Global Maritime Forum, has announced that many of its signatories have made significant strides in reducing their emission intensity over the past year. This achievement underscores the increasing maturity, ambition, and transparency within the SCC, although more efforts are necessary to meet the stricter emission targets set by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), reports Sea Cargo Charter.

2025 Report Highlights Progress and Enhanced Transparency

The 2025 Sea Cargo Charter Annual Disclosure Report, which was just released, showcases the maritime industry’s commitment to a data-driven and transparent approach to climate alignment. The 34 signatories, which include prominent charterers and shipowners, accounted for roughly 18% of the global wet and dry bulk cargo transported by sea in 2024.

This marks the second consecutive year that signatories have reported their progress against the more challenging climate alignment benchmarks established in the 2023 IMO GHG Strategy. Despite these heightened standards, 19 out of the 34 signatories managed to reduce their emission intensity, eight improved their climate alignment scores, and many reported a greater reliance on emissions metrics when making operational and chartering decisions.

Emissions Gap Persists, Yet Progress is Clear

While there’s clear progress, the report indicates that, on average, signatories were still 12% short of meeting the minimum international climate goals and 18% behind the striving targets in 2024. Notably, ten signatories were within 10% of the targets, five aligned with the minimum trajectory, and three successfully met the striving trajectory.

SCC Enables Progress Through Action and Collaboration

“The Sea Cargo Charter continues to be a powerful enabler of progress, helping the maritime industry translate climate ambition into concrete action,” said Engebret Dahm, SCC vice chair and CEO of Klaveness Combination Carriers. “This year’s results demonstrate that even as the IMO’s climate goals grow more ambitious, signatories are stepping up with greater transparency, operational improvements, and data integrity. The Charter is not just a reporting tool—it is a stepping stone toward achieving the IMO’s Greenhouse Gas Strategy and Global Transport Zero Framework.”

External Barriers Impacting Climate Alignment

Even with their best efforts, signatories are running into some operational hurdles that are affecting their climate alignment scores. These challenges include limitations at regional ports (like draft restrictions), bad weather, inefficient routing, and a reliance on short-term charters. While these issues have led to some gaps in alignment, the signatories are still pushing forward to make improvements.

Verified Data Shows Growing Commitment to Credible Reporting

One of the standout developments in this year’s report is the enhanced quality and transparency of the data. More than 90% of the data for 2024 has been verified by third parties, a significant jump from just 50% last year. This shift underscores a stronger dedication to credible and science-based reporting.

Collaboration Key to Climate Progress

“Beyond measuring and reporting, the Sea Cargo Charter fosters trust and collaboration, with signatories actively shaping the initiative and learning from one another through open dialogue and shared insights,” Dahm said. “Voluntary initiatives like ours remain essential to driving meaningful progress and collaboration across the sector, particularly as industry targets become more ambitious, and I’m proud to see our signatories continuing to lead by example.”

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Source: Sea Cargo Charter