The maritime industry is shifting from treating decarbonisation as a compliance burden to seeing it as a profit driver. Anil Jacob from OceanOpt argues that shipowners and operators who manage carbon like a business metric can lower fuel costs, reduce regulatory exposure, and gain a competitive edge. Regional rules like the EU ETS and FuelEU Maritime already carry real financial weight, and companies are investing in data systems and operational tools that pay off regardless of global policy timelines. Jacob highlights that the real bottleneck is not technology but data quality. Maritime data is often fragmented across vessels and systems, limiting the effectiveness of AI and advanced analytics. Cleaning and standardising this data is now a critical task that delivers immediate operational benefits. The article also notes a gap in tools for charterers and operators, who make key commercial decisions but are underserved by current platforms. Bridging this gap could unlock significant value across the supply chain.
