Container shipping efficiency peaked in 2025, driven by vessel size and carrier choice, according to the American Journal of Transportation.
Global container shipping reached its highest efficiency in two years at the end of 2025, with vessel size and carrier choice playing a decisive role in carbon outcomes, reported the American Journal of Transportation.
Vessel quarterly analysis showed that average Well-to-Wake emissions intensity fell to 188.9 g CO2e per TEU-km in Q4, the lowest level of the year. However, total emissions still exceeded 52 million tons, reflecting the impact of rising volumes and network design.
The study, based on 79,438 voyages, revealed wide differences in carrier performance on identical Asia-Europe routes. Operators using larger, newer vessels recorded far lower emissions than those relying on older ships, which concentrated on regional trades.
Voyages by ships younger than 15 years achieved intensities as low as 164.8 g CO2e per TEU-km, while older tonnage produced significantly higher emissions per container. Efficient operations combined long steaming times, high utilization, and large cargo volumes, cutting intensities nearly fivefold compared with quarterly averages.
Across 2025, VesselBot tracked 313,690 voyages by more than 5,800 vessels, generating 208.8 million tons of CO2e. Chief executive Constantine Komodromos stated that sustainability must be treated as an operational KPI alongside cost and reliability, warning that offsets and book-and-claim fuels do not force systemic change.
The report concluded that geopolitical volatility, fleet renewal, and regulatory expansion will continue to reshape emissions exposure as the industry moves into 2026.
