BAR Technologies warns fragmented carbon schemes could slow maritime decarbonisation

BAR Technologies has called for the development of a unified global carbon framework for shipping, cautioning that the growing number of regional and international emissions schemes is increasing compliance complexity and cost for shipowners.

The company said the expansion of overlapping regulatory mechanisms — including the European Union Emissions Trading System (EU ETS), FuelEU Maritime, the International Maritime Organization’s delayed Net-Zero Framework and proposed greenhouse gas fuel intensity (GFI) measures — is creating uncertainty across the sector.

According to the International Carbon Action Partnership (ICAP), more than 30 emissions trading systems are either operational or under development globally. Separate research from the Grantham Research Institute at the London School of Economics has identified more than 900 climate adaptation laws and policies adopted across 35 countries since the Paris Agreement, illustrating the rapid expansion of climate-related regulation.

John Cooper, CEO of BAR Technologies, said:

“Carbon compliance is becoming more fragmented by the month. Instead of building momentum behind a single global framework, we’re creating a patchwork of schemes with different baselines, rules and cost mechanisms. That creates confusion, inflates costs, and weakens the industry’s ability to invest in real, scalable solutions.”

The regulatory landscape has also been shaped by the European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), which came into force on 1 January 2026. While CBAM does not directly tax shipping emissions, it places a carbon price on embedded emissions in imported goods such as steel, aluminium, cement and fertilisers — commodities frequently transported by sea.

“CBAM is an example of how carbon pricing is now embedded into trade,” Cooper said. “But it’s also a reminder that without multilateral alignment, we risk policy friction and commercial uncertainty on a global scale.”

BAR Technologies said it supports the establishment of a single, globally coordinated carbon policy, potentially including a bunker-level collection mechanism to fund climate-focused reinvestment while reducing duplication across jurisdictions.

In parallel, the company is encouraging shipowners to deploy technologies capable of delivering emissions reductions under existing regulatory frameworks. Its WindWings® wind propulsion system, which is already installed on several vessels, is designed to reduce fuel consumption and associated emissions while complementing alternative fuels such as methanol and ammonia.

“While we await consensus on a unified framework, we cannot afford inaction,” Cooper said. “We need technologies that work today, across regulatory zones and wind propulsion is leading that charge.”

Lauren Eatwell, Head of WindWings® at BAR Technologies, added:

“Wind doesn’t need permission. It’s scalable, proven, and will be around forever. The industry has an opportunity to act now and lead, not wait to be regulated into action.”

As carbon pricing mechanisms expand and diverge globally, stakeholders across the maritime sector continue to assess how to balance regulatory compliance, cost management and investment in emissions-reduction technologies.