FuelEU and Beyond: Translating Regulatory Change into Commercial Clarity

Regulation is only the starting point

Environmental regulation provides a necessary foundation for the industry’s transition, but it rarely offers the level of detail required for daily commercial practice. During the panel, we spoke about how the expansion of regional schemes has increased the complexity that owners, charterers, and cargo producers are managing. Rather than a single set of obligations, many are now navigating multiple timelines, mechanisms, and cost structures simultaneously.

This is why contractual clarity is so important. BIMCO’s work on the FuelEU clauses — and our upcoming biofuel time charter clauses — aims to give parties a consistent starting point for allocating responsibilities and establishing fair, transparent processes. These clauses are drafted with practicality in mind: they must reflect the realities of shipping while supporting both compliance and commercial efficiency.

Regulation sets the direction, but industry collaboration is what turns that direction into workable practice.

Commercial reality: Balancing sustainability and profitability

One of the strongest themes in the discussion was the need to maintain commercial viability while progressing toward decarbonisation goals.

Rohan Naik, Sr. Bunker Manager at Pacific Basin Shipping, spoke about the operational realities of FuelEU, from fuel procurement to managing surpluses, and the challenge of maintaining profitability while ensuring compliance. His perspective underscored how decarbonisation decisions increasingly influence day-to-day voyage planning and cost exposure.

From Veson’s side, Bobby Morse, Associate Director of Product, highlighted that decarbonization has become both a data and decision-making challenge. Chartering and operations teams need a clear understanding of regulatory cost impacts and must be able to model different scenarios quickly. Without accurate data and shared visibility, organisations risk making decisions that either fall short of compliance or undermine commercial performance.

The panel were aligned on a central point: sustainability and profitability are not opposing objectives. With transparency, shared understanding, and the right frameworks, they can reinforce one another. This requires cooperation not only across internal departments but across the wider industry — including technology partners and industry bodies.

Data and digitalisation as enablers

The panel discussed how digitalisation plays an increasingly important role in operationalising decarbonisation. Data-driven systems support emissions tracking, cost allocation, and scenario modelling — all of which are essential when navigating complex regulatory mechanisms such as FuelEU.

Veson’s IMOS Platform, alongside connected solutions like Shipfix and VesselsValue, is helping organisations consolidate these data points into a usable foundation for decision-making. The structure that technology provides can enable teams to integrate regulatory considerations into commercial workflows.

From BIMCO’s perspective, this reinforces the importance of developing contractual standards that align with digital tools. When clauses and platforms speak the same language, adoption becomes far easier — and compliance becomes far clearer.

Collaboration and clarity: The path forward

Decarbonisation will remain an evolving journey. New mechanisms and market behaviours will continue to emerge, and organisations will need to adapt accordingly. However, the industry now has stronger tools, clearer frameworks, and greater alignment than in previous regulatory cycles.

Looking ahead, collaboration across the value chain will be essential. Practical progress depends on shared understanding and consistent application, not only high-level targets.