A new analysis highlights that carriers with steady, low-carbon operational practices, like MSC and OOCL, are crucial for shippers aiming to cut greenhouse gas emissions and manage rising carbon costs in the Asia–Northern Europe trade lane.
A shipper’s choice of ocean carrier is emerging as a critical factor in reducing Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions and managing escalating carbon costs, according to the latest maritime emissions analysis from OceanScore, a maritime analytics specialist. The company’s recent Scope 3 at Sea report focused on the competitive and environmentally significant Asia–Northern Europe trade lane, assessing carrier performance from January to June 2025.
The report reveals that beyond a carrier’s average emissions, operational consistency plays a pivotal role in determining the environmental impact of shipping voyages. OceanScore’s analysis exposed significant disparities between carriers on key operational factors such as vessel utilization, sailing speed, and carbon intensity—metrics that translate directly into variation in carbon footprints, compliance risks, and cost exposures for shippers aiming to meet ambitious decarbonization targets.
Leading the pack in this critical corridor are Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) and Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL), which together conduct roughly 32% of the voyages studied. Their top performances are credited to a combination of consistently below-average carbon intensity, steadier speed profiles, and more reliable vessel utilisation rates. This steadiness results in fewer extreme carbon emissions spikes, offering shippers not only a smaller environmental footprint but also greater operational predictability and a reduction in “carbon cost volatility,” as described by Thomas Smith, Head of Cargo Solutions at OceanScore.
Smith emphasised that on such long-haul routes, differences between vessels are substantial. He noted, “A well-utilised, fuel-efficient ship can emit far less per container than one that sails faster or emptier.” He further stressed that what matters most for shippers is the predictability garnered from carriers that maintain steady, low-carbon operational choices over time, as this consistency directly supports reductions in Scope 3 emissions exposure and mitigates risks linked to tightening regulatory frameworks.
OceanScore’s approach to emissions benchmarking moves beyond simplistic voyage averages, employing a nuanced framework that assesses carriers based on three crucial operational dimensions: carbon intensity measured in grams of CO₂ per tonne-kilometre, detailed speed profiles particularly for Ultra-Large Container Vessels (ULCVs), and the consistency of vessel utilisation. This granular, voyage-level data enables shippers to benchmark performance realistically and identify dependable carriers who offer not just low average emissions but also reliable and stable emissions performance crucial for managing carbon liabilities.
The importance of such precision in emissions reporting is underlined by the growing regulatory landscape. OceanScore’s wider body of work stresses that traditional emissions reporting—which often relies on static trade lane averages—tends to overestimate actual emissions, potentially obscuring opportunities for targeted decarbonisation. Instead, by incorporating real-world voyage factors such as vessel efficiency and utilisation, companies can achieve more accurate emissions accounting, essential for meeting both regulatory and corporate sustainability goals.
Further contextualising the stakes, OceanScore’s analysis of regional emissions liabilities highlights that Singapore-registered vessels alone are projected to bear approximately €330 million of Asian shipping’s total emissions liabilities under the EU’s Emissions Trading System (ETS). This figure illustrates the scale of the financial and environmental responsibilities borne by key maritime hubs in the Asia–Europe trade corridor, reinforcing the imperative for shipper/carrier partnerships that prioritize sustainable operations.
In an industry also marked by technological innovation, carriers are adopting new vessel designs and energy-saving technologies to reduce carbon footprints. For example, Ocean Network Express (ONE) has recently introduced ‘One Innovation,’ a 24,000-TEU megamax vessel boasting advanced hull designs and energy-saving devices, aimed at enhancing economies of scale while complying with International Maritime Organization (IMO) emissions regulations. Such advances complement operational efficiencies already demonstrated by carriers like MSC and OOCL.
OceanScore’s CargoFP platform, underpinning these insights, leverages real-time vessel tracking and sophisticated modelling to provide shippers and freight forwarders with precise, voyage-specific CO₂ emissions data. This empowers stakeholders to make smarter, data-driven decisions in their efforts to decarbonize ocean freight, ultimately contributing not just to corporate sustainability pledges but to the broader global agenda of maritime climate action.
In summary, the emerging evidence from OceanScore’s detailed emissions studies on the Asia–Northern Europe trade lane sends a clear message: operational choices by carriers matter profoundly. For shippers committed to reducing their Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions and managing future carbon costs, selecting carriers like MSC and OOCL—known for steady, efficient, and predictable voyage performance—offers tangible environmental and financial advantages in an increasingly regulated and sustainability-conscious global shipping industry.
Source: Noah Wire Services
Subscribe to Industry Updates
