Lloyd’s Register (LR) released in March its inaugural Global Maritime Trends 2025 Barometer report.

 This verified data-driven assessment of the industry’s energy and digital transition reveals that the energy transition is progressing at only 30% alignment with decarbonisation targets and the digital transition at 43% alignment. Fragmented regulation is undermining progress and limiting investment, notes the report.
Regulatory uncertainty is highlighted as deterring shipowners from committing to long-term investments, with regulatory mechanisms such as carbon pricing, emissions mandates, and incentives for green investments essential to accelerate adoption worldwide.
At the time of writing, all eyes were on the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) that was scheduled to sit at the International Maritime Organization (IMO), in the hope that some clarity would be given around greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions measures, for both the short and long term. Without a clear decarbonisation agenda from the IMO, the industry’s decarbonisation journey may become increasingly fragmented. 
New fuels and propulsion technologies are essential for emissions reduction and we won’t reach 2050 without them. Digitalisation, meanwhile, has the potential to offer an immediate and scalable pathway to sustainability supporting the industry now and in the years to come.
With so much uncertainty and wide array of solutions and pathways available, the next steps can be difficult to identify.
To help shipowners assess their digital journeys, LR has developed the Digital Maturity Index (DMI). This innovative tool evaluates an organisation’s digital readiness, covering areas such as technology adoption, data management, and cultural integration. By benchmarking against industry standards, companies can identify gaps and develop targeted strategies for digital transformation and can better position themselves strategically in an increasingly competitive and regulated market.
Years of change ahead
As the industry evolves and works towards a net-zero emissions future, so too must the service providers that support it. 
LR has grown from a class society into a professional services organisation, supporting shipowners, charterers and financiers with comprehensive regulatory, operational and strategic advice. While class and compliance remain fundamental to LR’s work, our expertise has extended to alternative fuels adoption, compliance strategies and performance optimisation. LR Advisory’s team of 250 experts today work with not only traditional class clients, but also charterers, oil majors, alternative fuel suppliers, port authorities, and governments who are looking to future-proof their maritime strategies. 
As new EU regulations, in the form of EU ETS and Fuel EU, drive change in the industry, it is prompting increased uptake in new technologies and digital applications. 
This also brings opportunities. The recently restructured LR Advisory team has been supporting numerous clients to advance and derisk new ideas and innovative business models.
FuelEU, and in particular pooling. has been of significant interest.LR has been advising some of the world’s biggest shipping companies, charterers and fuel suppliers on not only how to minimise the cost of compliance, but also how to turn decarbonisation into a profitable venture.
Readying the workforce
While technology and regulation drive decarbonisation, the industry’s success ultimately hinges on its people. If shipping is to achieve the IMO’s target of reducing carbon intensity by 40% by 2030, it must invest in a workforce capable of operating future fuels and digital technologies safely.
The industry faces a looming skills shortage, with an estimated 90,000 additional officers needed by 2026. By 2030, 450,000 seafarers will require additional training, rising to 800,000 by the mid-2030s. Employee experience will be a critical factor in talent retention, necessitating a focus on career development, workplace safety and digital competency.
The Greek philosopher Heraclitus said around 2,500 years ago, “There is nothing permanent except change”. It’s an accurate illustration of the current age as we face multiple challenges from a variety of corners. None, however, are more pressing than the urgent need to decarbonise and shipping has its part to play. 
While the future is unclear, informed decision making supported by professional industry advice will support business objectives.
* Business Development Manager, LR