Shipping decarbonization needs clear rules to avoid double carbon costs, says EmissionLink

EmissionLink warns that shipping cannot decarbonize on promises alone. The European Commission has said it will prevent shipping companies from being charged twice for the same emissions, but the maritime sector needs practical guidance on how that works across overlapping EU ETS, FuelEU Maritime, and IMO carbon rules. EmissionLink managing director Philippos Ioulianou says the risk is not just paying twice for the same tonne of emissions. It also includes reporting twice, calculating twice, and building parallel compliance processes that add cost and confusion. The company has already helped deliver accurate FuelEU emissions data for more than 600 vessels. Ioulianou also argues that carbon pricing revenues must be directed back into maritime decarbonization infrastructure, not treated as general government revenue. Without that investment, he says, carbon regulation becomes taxation with a green label rather than a real transition tool.