The maritime sector is currently undergoing a radical transformation, driven by the urgent need to decarbonise in response to climate change. Climate change is often discussed in terms of technological innovation or environmental policy. However, a interdisciplinary team of researchers including Jolien Kruit, Professor of The Future of Maritime Law, and Hannah Mosmans, researcher Port Economics and Maritime Law, demonstrate that the transition also creates significant legal, financial, contractual, and societal challenges for maritime stakeholders. So how is the maritime industry supposed to deal with all the risks and challenges that come with this transformation?
On 12 May 2026, a new open-access article titled Climate risks in shipping was published in the Journal of Shipping and Trade. The research examines how the global shipping industry is increasingly confronted with interconnected climate-related risks as it transitions towards decarbonization.
Five risks with interrelated effects
Drawing on legal doctrinal analysis and a targeted literature review, the research identifies five primary categories of climate-related transition risks in shipping: litigation risks, policy and regulatory risks, contractual risks, technological risks, and social risks. Rather than treating these risks separately, the article emphasizes how they interact and reinforce one another throughout the maritime supply chain. Mosmans explains: “A regulatory change, for example, may influence contractual arrangements, accelerate technological innovation, and ultimately trigger financial or legal disputes”.
A framework for a coordinated approach
According to the researchers, these cascading effects illustrate the limitations of siloed approaches to maritime risk management. “Therefore, we advocate for more coordinated regulatory frameworks, adaptive contractual structures, and proactive engagement by industry actors to strengthen resilience during the maritime sector’s low-carbon transition” Kruit states. The research contributes to ongoing academic and policy debates on maritime decarbonization by offering a structured analytical framework that maps the interconnected nature of climate risks in shipping. In doing so, the article supports more informed decision-making for policymakers, legal practitioners, shipping companies, and other maritime stakeholders navigating the transition towards a more sustainable shipping sector.
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The full open-access article can be accessed via Springer Nature.
The publication was authored by Hannah Mosmans, Stella Ebbersmeyer, Jolien Kruit, Beatriz Martinez Romera, Nishatabbas Rehmatulla, and Marie Fricaudet. The research was funded by Donor Advised Funds, National Philanthropic Trust for the project “Commercial modernization of international shipping”, a collaboration between University College London, University of Copenhagen (research group CLIMA), and Erasmus School of Law
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