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Industry brief — 05

Marine, road, and last-mile
each have their own regulator.

Transportation and logistics ESG splits into three distinct regulatory environments: marine (IMO MEPC, FuelEU Maritime, EU ETS extension to shipping), road and fleet (national fuel economy, fleet electrification, Scope 3 reporting from buyers), and infrastructure operators (toll operators, ports, airports). Each has its own MRV requirements, technology pathway, and capital structure.

01 Sector pressures

Five pressures across modes

01

IMO MEPC compliance for shipping

IMO 2023 Strategy on Reduction of GHG Emissions targets net-zero shipping by ~2050, with checkpoints at 2030 and 2040. CII (Carbon Intensity Indicator) ratings, EEXI (Energy Efficiency Existing Ship Index), and the in-development IMO mid-term measures (carbon levy, fuel standard) reshape ship economics. For GCC ship operators, charter market access increasingly depends on CII rating bands.

02

FuelEU Maritime & EU ETS for shipping

FuelEU Maritime applies fuel GHG intensity targets to ships calling EU ports — full operational from 2025. EU ETS extension to maritime adds explicit carbon cost. GCC operators with European trade exposure face direct cost impact, MRV obligations, and pressure on fuel choice (LNG, methanol, ammonia, biofuels).

03

Fleet electrification economics

For ground-fleet operators (logistics, last-mile, intra-city distribution), the EV transition economics turn on charging infrastructure, vehicle TCO, route-suitability, and fleet replacement cycle. Decisions made now shape ESG positioning for the next decade. We help operators build the fleet decarbonisation business case — not just the press release.

04

Scope 3 transport emissions

For buyers of logistics services (retail, manufacturing, e-commerce), upstream and downstream transportation (Scope 3 Categories 4 and 9) are increasingly material. Logistics providers face buyer-side pressure for emissions reporting (GLEC Framework, ISO 14083), low-carbon transport options, and contract-level decarbonisation commitments.

05

Operator & infrastructure ESG disclosure

Toll operators, port authorities, airports, and rail operators face listed-entity disclosure expectations (ADX, DFM, regional exchanges). The disclosure narrative has to reconcile operational realities (passenger and freight volumes are typically growth metrics) with environmental commitments — without falling into greenwashing.

02 Where we engage

Transport-specific work

03 Frameworks & alliances

Transport-sector frameworks

  • IMO MEPCInternational Maritime Organization Marine Environment Protection Committee — 2023 GHG Strategy, CII, EEXI, in-development mid-term measures.
  • FuelEU MaritimeEU regulation on GHG intensity of marine fuels, in force from 2025.
  • EU ETS Maritime ExtensionEU Emissions Trading System extended to maritime; phased implementation 2024-2026.
  • Poseidon PrinciplesClimate-aligned ship finance framework — adopted by major shipping lenders.
  • SBTi Transport SectorMaritime, road transport, and aviation sectoral decarbonisation pathways.
  • GLEC FrameworkGlobal Logistics Emissions Council — multi-modal logistics emissions calculation.
  • ISO 14083Quantification and reporting of GHG emissions from transport chain operations.
  • ICAO CORSIACarbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation.
For this sector

Tell us where you're stuck.

Sector-specific situations call for sector-specific reasoning. We don't apply a generic ESG playbook here.

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