With 90% of Finnish exports and 80% of imports carried onboard ships, emissions from sea transport play an important role when cargo owners strive to reduce emissions of their supply chains. The alarming report from IPCC published in mid-August underlines the need for proactive actions in all sectors. Additionally, emissions reporting in shipping has received increased attention after the EU Commission released their proposal for the new requirements on energy used on board ships.

Viking Line, ESL Shipping and Attracs have recently joined forces with Åbo Akademi University and PBI Research Institute and are now taking the lead to solve the most pressing obstacles for reducing emissions and improving transparency in the industry. The aim of the project, called DEOS – Driving Emissions Out of Shipping, is to develop emissions reporting models to enable cargo owners to understand the emissions of their supply chain and select verified low emission transportation that give them and actors in their supply chain a competitive advantage.

Magnus Gustafsson, Head of Research at the Laboratory of Industrial Management at Åbo Akademi University, underlines the pressing need for this project: “Recent research has shown that consumers today are ready for, if not even demanding, sustainable products,” he states. “By opting for low emission transportation and bringing emissions from shipping into the consumers’ awareness, cargo owners can support their customers in making better choices in their everyday life.”

DEOS has received financing from Business Finland, the Finnish government organization for innovation funding. The project is scheduled to last until spring 2022 and is currently sailing forward with full speed. Pilot cases of emission reporting in the entire logistics chain are progressing and the dialogue with policymakers and cargo owners is active.