A Global Fleet Under Wind: Scaling Wind Propulsion for Emission Reduction, Energy Demand and Equity

In 2023, the International Maritime Organization (IMO)’s Revised GHG Strategy set targets of up to 30% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 relative to 2008, up to 80% by 2040, and fully decarbonised by 2050. Combined with the cumulative build-up of CO2 in the atmosphere, which accumulates over hundreds of years to drive irreversible climate impacts, early action is critical. As renewable e-fuels may not be competitive at scale until the 2040s if only weak policy interventions are applied (Aymer and Smith, 2025), the shipping sector must turn to technologies available and scalable today to cut emissions.