Shipping accounts for about 3 percent of global CO2 emissions, and the industry is aiming for climate neutrality by 2050. To get there, wind power is making a comeback in a modern form. Cargo sailboats like the 81 meter Anemos, launched in France in 2024, and the Marshall Islands freighter Juren AE are already sailing with carbon masts, optimized hulls, and digital weather routing. These are working vessels, not museum pieces, and they are cutting fuel use on real routes. Wind propulsion will not replace engines on every shipping lane, but it can reduce fuel consumption and emissions on routes with reliable wind. The challenge is scaling this beyond a few experimental ships. The DW video looks at how these boats are designed and what they mean for the industry's decarbonization target. If the goal is climate neutral shipping by 2050, wind power needs to be part of the answer.
