Fragmented Carbon Schemes Threaten Maritime Progress
BAR Technologies warns that fragmented carbon schemes are creating compliance burdens for shipping and slowing decarbonisation, urging alignment on a unified global framework.
With overlapping regulations such as the EU ETS, FuelEU Maritime, the postponed IMO Net-Zero Framework, and proposed Greenhouse Gas Fuel Intensity (GFI) measures, shipowners face conflicting obligations. The International Carbon Action Partnership (ICAP) reports that more than 30 emissions trading systems are currently in force or under development worldwide. Research from the Grantham Research Institute at the London School of Economics further highlights over 900 climate adaptation laws and policies adopted since the Paris Agreement, underscoring the risks of fragmented frameworks that drive costs and regulatory friction.
“Carbon compliance is becoming more fragmented by the month,” said John Cooper, CEO of BAR Technologies. “Instead of building momentum behind a single global framework, we’re creating a patchwork of schemes with different baselines, rules, and cost mechanisms. That creates confusion, inflates costs, and weakens the industry’s ability to invest in real, scalable solutions.”
The challenge is compounded by mechanisms such as the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), which came into effect on 1 January 2026. While CBAM does not directly tax shipping emissions, it introduces indirect carbon costs by pricing embedded emissions in goods like steel, aluminium, cement, and fertilisers—major seaborne cargoes.
To avoid bureaucratic paralysis, BAR Technologies is advocating for a single, globally agreed carbon policy that is fair, transparent, and financially efficient. The company supports a bunker-level collection mechanism to fund climate-positive reinvestment while avoiding duplication across schemes.
In the meantime, BAR Technologies stresses the importance of deployable solutions that deliver immediate impact. Its WindWings® technology, already installed on multiple vessels, provides significant fuel savings and emissions reductions. By lowering overall fuel demand, WindWings® also enhances the viability of alternative fuels such as methanol and ammonia.
“Wind doesn’t need permission,” said Lauren Eatwell, Head of WindWings®. “It’s scalable, proven, and permanent. The industry has an opportunity to act now and lead, not wait to be regulated into action.”
BAR Technologies urges the maritime sector to embrace fuel-agnostic, deployable solutions that cut emissions today, while supporting the transition toward a coherent and unified global carbon framework.
