Emissions intensity varied by up to 35% between container shipping firms on the same major container routes in the third quarter, according to a report by technology company VesselBot.
The choice of carrier can significantly affect a container shipment's well-to-wake (WtW) emissions intensity, with differences between the most and least efficient operators ranging from 20% to 35% across four major fronthaul trades.
VesselBot's Decoding Maritime Emissions, Q3 2026 report analysed 83,817 voyages by 6,730 container ships.
Average WtW emissions intensity remained broadly stable at 235.1 g CO2e/TEU-km, up 0.5% year on year.
Total emissions fell 1.9% to 55.5 million tonnes of CO2e, while transport work increased 1.2% to 712 billion TEU-km.
Emissions intensity improved across five of six vessel-size categories. Very large container ships recorded the biggest improvement, at 12.9%, while feeder vessel intensity increased 1.3% to 285.9 g CO2e/TEU-km.
The report also found that port time increased 6.2% year on year.
Meanwhile, the gradual return to the Suez Canal had yet to materially shorten Asia-Europe voyages, as most services continued to use the Cape of Good Hope route.
