Australia’s first national maritime emissions plan links ship operations, port infrastructure, alternative fuels and digital systems in a single decarbonisation strategy. With 99% of the country’s trade by volume carried by sea, the plan gives shipowners and managers a practical reason to look beyond fuel choice and examine how vessel and port data can cut wasted time and energy.
Australia has put digitalisation alongside alternative fuels, port infrastructure and workforce skills in its first national plan to reduce maritime emissions.
The Maritime Emissions Reduction National Action Plan (MERNAP), released on 26 August, sets out seven government actions covering energy, ports, shipping, domestic commercial vessels, and skills and training. The plan says Australia handles about 99% of its exports and imports by sea, with more than 6,000 cargo ships making more than 30,000 port calls each year.
That scale gives operational efficiency a direct role in decarbonisation. MERNAP identifies digitalisation as an energy efficiency measure alongside speed reduction, route optimisation, trim optimisation and onboard power management.
One of the most concrete measures is Australia’s Maritime Single Window. Government investment now totals $51.7 million, including $47.1 million announced in the 2026-27 Budget. The system will provide a single electronic portal covering port arrival, stay and departure data.
The plan also backs just-in-time arrival systems, which use data to manage vessel speed so ships reach port when waiting time is reduced. MERNAP says this can cut fuel consumption and emissions while improving operational efficiency.
That matters to shipowners because fuel savings can come from managing the voyage and port interface better, rather than waiting for alternative fuels to become widely available.
The report also places digital systems within green and digital shipping corridors, where Australia plans to work with Singapore and South Korea on new technologies, fuel supply chains, port readiness and vessel requirements.
Catherine King, Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, said, “In a nation where our maritime sector is responsible for 99 per cent of our international trade, the MERNAP is a vital piece of our journey toward a sustainable future.”
Decarbonisation in Australia will involve what ships burn, but also how intelligently ships, ports and the wider supply chain use information.
