Zero-emission trade routes gain pace as emerging economies take lead

The global transition toward cleaner maritime transport accelerated in 2025, with 25 new zero-emission shipping routes launched this year and emerging economies stepping up their involvement. The latest Annual Progress Report on Green Shipping Corridors from the Getting to Zero Coalition and the Global Maritime Forum shows the total number of active initiatives worldwide has risen to 84—up from 59 in 2024.

The fourth edition of the report, titled At a Crossroads, highlights a notable geographic shift. China and India each added four new corridors, while Brazil added two. Chile, Ghana and Kenya also strengthened their presence. According to the authors, these countries are moving early to capture new opportunities in clean fuel production, bunkering infrastructure and green trade flows.

The update comes shortly after the International Maritime Organization postponed adoption of its Net-Zero Framework to at least October 2026—a delay that, the report warns, could create hesitancy among investors and slow momentum.

For the first time, four corridor projects have progressed to the “realisation” stage, meaning work is now underway on vessels, fuel production or port infrastructure. However, many initiatives are still stuck in feasibility, constrained by the high price of alternative fuels and uncertainty around future regulatory incentives.

Sectoral activity remains broadly unchanged from last year, with one exception: a surge in tanker-related corridors, driven mainly by six new ammonia-carrier routes. The report also notes a rise in projects marked “to be determined,” reflecting the influx of fresh announcements that have yet to define vessel types or operational specifics.

The authors urge governments and industry stakeholders to use the window before the IMO finalises its framework to push projects forward rather than pause development. They point to existing national and regional programmes—such as the EU’s Global Gateway, Germany’s H2Global, and Australia’s Hydrogen Headstart—as mechanisms that could help move corridors into advanced stages and secure first-mover leadership.

To sustain progress, the report calls for targeted actions to close the cost gap between green and conventional fuels, prepare for future IMO incentives, strengthen collaboration with cargo owners willing to pay green premiums, and maximise the use of domestic policy tools to support early deployment.

Introduced through the Clydebank Declaration at COP26 in 2021, green corridors have become testbeds for the fuels, technologies and partnerships needed to decarbonise global shipping. With key 2030 climate deadlines approaching, the report stresses that the next few years will determine whether these pilot initiatives can mature into a robust, scaled global network capable of propelling the sector toward net-zero emissions.