Maritime Decarbonization Without Inflation - CleanTechnica

The article from CleanTechnica addresses concerns about whether increasing carbon prices in Europe, aimed at decarbonizing maritime shipping, will lead to inflation by raising shipping costs significantly. The analysis shows that while carbon pricing does increase fuel costs for shipping operators, the impact on the cost per ton of cargo transported is minimal. For example, even at a high carbon price of €300 per ton of CO2, the added cost for shipping a ton of goods from Shanghai to Rotterdam is around €16.9, which is negligible compared to the value of typical containerized goods. For many manufactured goods, ocean freight constitutes only 1% to 3% of retail prices, so even a substantial increase in freight costs would translate to only a fraction of a percent increase in consumer prices, thus not driving structural inflation. The article further explains that the European Union’s Emissions Trading System (ETS) already covers maritime emissions, with full coverage expected by 2026 for intra-EU voyages and partial coverage for