Name of Primary Faculty Advisor
Dr. Simon Croom
Publication Date
Spring 5-19-2025
Student Classification
Undergraduate
Disciplines
Environmental Sciences | Operations and Supply Chain Management
Description / Abstract
In the era of globalization and the fourth industrial revolution, the maritime shipping industry has grown exponentially in the twenty-first century. In fact, 90% of today’s goods travel across the ocean before reaching the end consumer, meaning that ocean transportation of goods contributes significantly to overall environmental impacts on the ocean. Awareness of this impact has increased as humans strive to eliminate unsustainable practices in an effort to protect the long term health of our planet. Decarbonized shipping has been proposed as a possible solution for unsustainable shipping practices, and the goal of this chapter is to evaluate this solution in terms of feasibility, effectiveness, and comprehensiveness. First, the chapter will outline the different ways shipping negatively impacts the ocean. Next, it will explain what decarbonized shipping is and the different strategies for implementation. Then the chapter will highlight the challenges and barriers for implementing the decarbonized shipping solution. Finally, a conclusion will be drawn based on research analysis to answer the question: Is decarbonization of shipping the best solution for negative environmental impacts on the ocean due to unsustainable shipping?
