Too hard to decarbonize: insights from a decision support tool for the Greek maritime operations
File(s)
Journal
Environmental Research Letters
Date Issued
October 24, 2025
Abstract
The Greek maritime sector, one of the largest in the world, faces multiple economic, environmental and development challenges, requiring careful long-term investment decisions. In this paper we present the application of a free, open-source investment decision support tool we have developed, the MaritimeGCH, applied for the Greek fleet. We quantify the effect of two main interventions for a cost-effective carbon abatement, under the recent EU environmental regulations: the implementation of mature on-ship emission reduction technologies and transition scenarios to cleaner fuels. While significant emissions are achievable, even ambitious interventions fall short of fully decarbonizing the sector by 2050. This suggests that a more unified set of policy solutions are needed to achieve the national commitments.