What is the ‘Climate action in shipping’ report (also referred to as ‘The 5% progress report’)?
For the maritime sector to be on track to meet the International Maritime Organization's (IMO) greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets, at least 5% of all fuels used in global shipping need to be scalable zero-emissions fuels (SZEF) by 2030. This tipping point was coined 'shipping's 2030 breakthrough' in 2021 .
'Climate action in shipping: Progress towards shipping's 2030 breakthrough', colloquially known as the 5% progress report, is an annual publication that has tracked the sector's SZEF uptake since 2022. Each year, the report analyses developments across five key systems-change levers to provide a holistic picture of the industry's progress towards the 2030 breakthrough target, as well as recommendations to accelerate positive change. The 2026 report will be the fifth edition in the series.
How does the report measure progress?
Annual progress towards the 2030 breakthrough target is measured by tracking developments across five key systems change levers:
1. Technology and supply
How are zero-emission fuels, vessels, and bunkering technologies developing?
At what pace is the supply of SZEF increasing?
2. Demand
What portion of the current fleet—and the order book—is capable of running on SZEF fuels?
How many shipowners, cargo owners, ports, and shipyards are committed to net-zero targets, and is the number growing?
3. Finance
What percentage of the global ship finance portfolio is climate-aligned?
What percentage of shipping debt issuance is green, social, or sustainability-linked?
4. Policy
How is the industry tracking towards global, binding net-zero regulation to create a level playing field?
How are national and regional policies progressing?
5. Civil society
How active are climate-vulnerable and indigenous actors in IMO negotiations?
How well are seafarers being trained to handle SZEF-capable vessels?
How much local NGO action is happening around ports?
The report provides a thorough analysis of recent industry developments, technological advancements, first-mover case studies, and other data from across the globe and throughout the value chain to determine whether the levers (as well as indicators within each) are on track, partially on track, or not on track. For the first time, the 2026 report will also take a brief look at some of the alternative decarbonisation methods on the market, including wind-assisted propulsion technologies, nuclear power, and electrification.
Many of the case studies of first-mover action considered in this report come from Getting to Zero Coalition members. For a snapshot of the actions members are taking to support the Coalition's shared ambition and advance the transition to zero-emission shipping, see the Action Framework.
What does the report reveal about how the industry is tracking?
When the first edition of the report was published in 2022, all five indicators were considered partially on track. Over time, progress within the demand and finance levers has not continued at the levels needed to meet the breakthrough target in 2030, and both levers have since been assessed as not on track.
At a high level, recent editions of the report have suggested that although there have been many notable developments since the first edition in 2022, the pace of progress is not currently on track to meet the breakthrough target. As we approach 2030, the report suggests there is still time for the industry to course-correct, but only if progress accelerates quickly.