Investigating the decarbonization process of the maritime transport sector - Quantifying and reducing greenhouse gas emissions

The doctoral thesis in question focuses on decarbonisation processes involving intermodal freight transport chains, with particular attention to maritime transport chains (also known as “maritime supply chains”). The aim of the research was therefore to understand the effects of greenhouse gas emission reduction mechanisms in the maritime transport sector and to analyse the contribution of the methodologies used to calculate and report on these emissions, including through application assessments. The methodological framework analysed is based on the GLEC Framework proposed by the Smart Freight Centre, as well as the new ISO 14083:2023 standard. To assess the effectiveness of the methodology, it was first applied to a real case study, which in this case was based on a national Ro-Ro cabotage service operating in the Mediterranean area. Subsequently, emission reduction strategies in the maritime sector were examined. Finally, particular attention was paid to the EU-ETS and EU-MRV systems: a comparative analysis of emission reduction strategies was applied to a container service between Asia and Europe, based on the assessment of fuel consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, operating costs and the economic impact of the EU-ETS system.