The maritime industry is navigating a period of rapid regulatory change. With CII and EU ETS already in force, FuelEU Maritime now live, UK ETS rapidly approaching, and the IMO’s Net-Zero Framework delayed, shipping organizations are being asked to plan for a future that is still taking shape. 

As discussed in Veson Nautical’s recent panel webinar, FuelEU & the Commercial Realities of Decarbonization, this uncertainty is not just a regulatory challenge — it is a commercial one. Chartering, operations, and sustainability teams are now making daily decisions that directly affect both compliance and profitability. 

The panel, featuring perspectives from BIMCO and Pacific Basin Shipping, explored how leading organizations are adapting. Here I will build on those insights and look at how Veson’s connected solutions help teams turn regulatory complexity into informed, commercially sound decisions. 

Regulation sets the direction — systems enable action 

Decarbonization regulations provide high-level goals, but they rarely account for the realities of day-to-day commercial shipping. As panelists noted, overlapping regional schemes and evolving requirements have introduced new complexity into contracts, cost allocation, and voyage planning — including how cost and risk are shared between owners, charterers, and counterparties. 

To operate effectively in this environment, regulatory considerations must be embedded directly into commercial workflows rather than treated as a downstream compliance task. 

Within IMOS, decarbonization requirements are integrated across the Chartering, Operations, Financials, and Trading & Risk modules. Emissions data, voyage economics, and compliance exposure are brought together in one place, enabling teams to evaluate regulatory impacts alongside commercial outcomes. This approach supports better alignment across departments and reduces the risk of decisions being made in isolation. 

Balancing sustainability and profitability starts with visibility 

A key theme from the panel was the misconception that sustainability and profitability are competing objectives. In practice, the real challenge lies in visibility. 

Rohan Naik of Pacific Basin Shipping highlighted how FuelEU has introduced new variables into voyage planning — from fuel selection and biofuel availability to surplus management and cost exposure. Without clear data, these variables can quickly erode margins or introduce compliance risk. 

Veson addresses this challenge by enabling teams to understand the commercial impact of decarbonization decisions before they are made. Through IMOS, users can incorporate emissions into voyage estimation, track and allocate emission-related costs with greater transparency, and model fuel and compliance scenarios in the context of overall voyage economics. 

By embedding sustainability data directly into commercial decision-making, organizations can move beyond reactive compliance and make choices that support both environmental goals and financial performance. 

Contracts, costs, and commercial alignment 

Another key discussion point was the evolution of contracts and cost-sharing mechanisms. As Stinne Taiger Ivø, Deputy Secretary General at BIMCO, emphasized during the panel, regulatory ambition only becomes actionable when it is supported by clear, workable contractual frameworks. Without that clarity, uncertainty around responsibility, pricing, and risk can slow decision-making. 

As BIMCO continues to develop FuelEU clauses and biofuel charter clauses, the industry is moving toward greater standardization — but translating those frameworks into daily practice remains a challenge. 

This is where connected systems help bridge the gap between regulation and results. Veson’s solutions enable emission expenses, compliance charges, and cost allocations to be accurately reflected within voyage accounting and post-fixture workflows, helping organizations manage risk and maintain alignment between contracts and execution. 

Data as a strategic asset 

The panel also underscored how decarbonization has elevated the importance of data, not just for reporting, but for strategy. 

Digital tools such as Shipfix and VesselsValue complement IMOS by expanding market awareness and asset intelligence. Shipfix supports chartering teams with real-time market visibility, while VesselsValue provides asset-level insight that informs longer-term planning and investment decisions tied to decarbonization. 

Together, these connected solutions help organizations move from fragmented data sources to a more holistic view of commercial and sustainability performance — enabling better forecasting, clearer communication, and more confident engagement with counterparties. 

Building confidence amid ongoing change 

One message was clear throughout the discussion: uncertainty is not going away. New mechanisms, fuels, and market behaviors will continue to emerge. But organizations that invest in connected systems, reliable data, and cross-functional alignment are better positioned to adapt. 

At Veson, our focus is on supporting customers through this transition — not by prescribing a single path to decarbonization, but by providing the tools that allow each organization to navigate its own path with confidence.  

By integrating sustainability into commercial workflows and managing exposure proactively, maritime organizations can turn decarbonization from a source of risk into a source of strategic advantage. 

To hear these perspectives in full — including insights from BIMCO and Pacific Basin Shipping — watch the on-demand recording.