Transport & Environment (T&E), a think-tank, on 26 March accused́ shipping giants of charging their customers more than the costs of the European carbon market́, thereby making what it called "undue margins".

Accused, along with other shipping companies, by T&E of overstating the price of emissions trading, Denmark's Maersk took issue with the group's methodology and defended its own transparency.

Since the beginning of the year, the European Union has extended its carbon market, particularly to the maritime sector, forcing carriers to buy "pollution permits" on the European Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS).

Is ETS systematically overestimated?

"In 2024, ships will have to pay for 40% of their emissions. This percentage will rise to 70% in 2025 and 100% in 2026", emphasised T&E, a Brussels-based organisation, pointing out that "shipping companies have reacted by levying an ETS surcharge paid by the ships' customers, who are generally companies".

However, in a study of 500 container ship journeys to and from the Old Continent, T&E stated that "in almost 90% of cases, shipping companies charge their customers more than the real costs of the carbon market" as calculated by the NGO.

"The conclusion is clear: the price of the ETS is systematically overestimated" by these companies, which according to T&E "are therefore making an undue margin on this mechanism".

Maersk particularly targeted

The group cited in particular Maersk, the Italian-Swiss MSC, the French CMA-CGM and the German Hapag-Lloyd, and stated that Maersk achieves an average surplus profit of 60,000 euros per voyage, compared with an industry average of 25,000 euros.

As these fleets "own hundreds of ships", this represents "millions of euros in undue profits every year", T&E asserted.

The rigour of the analysis challenged by the Dane

Asked for a reaction like the other companies mentioned in the report, Maersk felt that T&E's analysis ignored "many factors that affect the costs of European ETS for shipping companies and therefore the surcharges".

"The methodology underlying the analysis is flawed, leading to erroneous conclusions that do not reflect the reality of our sector", continued Maersk, defending the "transparency" of these surcharges, which it says it recalculates every quarter and publishes on its website.

The rates calculated by T&E, according to the carrier, are also based on "outdated" carbon prices, because they are "higher" than at present.

La rédaction (avec l’AFP)