23.03.2026
Across the maritime industry, you see new technologies, regulations and sustainability strategies appear at a rapid pace. Companies are investing in cleaner fuels, emissions monitoring and new operational practices to reduce their environmental impact.
However, technology by itself is not enough. The industry also needs professionals who understand how sustainability applies to real maritime operations.
Most organisations recognise the importance of decarbonisation, environmental compliance and responsible resource management. The real challenge is putting these goals into action. Often, this needs knowledge that traditional maritime training did not always provide.
This gap matters. Shipping produces about 1,000 million tonnes of CO₂ each year, which is around three per cent of global emissions. The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) says these emissions could rise by up to 50% by mid-century if stronger action is not taken.
Professionals already working in the sector can help change this trend. By adding sustainability expertise to your operational experience, you can support more responsible maritime practices while continuing your career.
If you work in the maritime sector, you have probably noticed that the skills expected of professionals are growing. Green shipping roles that used to focus only on operations now also include environmental performance, regulatory awareness and data-driven decision-making.
Industry research shows that this change is creating a clear skills gap. DNV’s latest Maritime Forecast to 2050 says 33,000 maritime professionals will need extra training to operate these vessels and help shipping move towards lower-carbon operations. You will notice how maritime roles now include tasks that did not exist five or 10 years ago, and several trends are speeding up the need for new skills:
Many organisations struggle to find people with both practical maritime experience and sustainability knowledge. This makes experienced professionals even more valuable. By adding new expertise to your existing skills, you can help connect sustainability goals to real maritime practice and tackle global shipping challenges.
Traditional maritime education focuses on the core skills needed to keep vessels running safely. While basics like navigating extreme environments, engineering, vessel systems and safety are still essential, the industry now expects professionals to handle challenges beyond these roles. Many people now face issues that were not part of their original training. Several reasons explain this gap:
For many professionals, the answer is not to replace traditional maritime education, but to build on it through ongoing learning while staying active in the industry.
As the maritime industry moves towards sustainable operations, maritime professionals are expected to possess an array of skills. Your operational experience is still important, but now you also need to understand how sustainability, technology and regulation are connected.
Developing these skills will enable you to make a greater impact on operational improvements, compliance strategies and long-term planning in your organisation. It can also boost your maritime career. Here are some skills you can develop:
Shipping companies want to reduce emissions and improve energy efficiency. To do this, they need people who know how daily decisions affect the environment. Important skills include:
Environmental regulations are evolving quickly. Many maritime roles now need a better understanding of how these rules affect planning. Key skills include:
Modern vessels and fleet operations generate large volumes of operational data. Companies increasingly rely on this data and digital technologies to make shipping safer, smarter, improve efficiency and monitor environmental performance. Professionals who can interpret and use this data are highly valued. Useful skills include:
Many organisations are launching projects focused on energy transition, infrastructure development and environmental performance improvements. People with hands-on experience often play a key role. Important abilities include:
For some professionals, sustainability expertise can also lead to new career opportunities. Many jobs related to decarbonisation and environmental strategy are now based ashore, such as roles in fleet management, sustainability teams, maritime consultancy and offshore renewable energy projects.
By adding new expertise to your operational experience, you can transform the maritime industry and shape more sustainable operations.
If you already work in the maritime sector, you are closer to the solution than you may realise. Your operational experience gives you something that sustainability strategies and policy documents cannot match: a clear understanding of how vessels, crews, regulations and operational decisions work together in real life.
Your experience becomes even more valuable when you add a deeper knowledge of sustainability, environmental regulation and modern maritime technologies. Professionals like you can help close the gap by:
Many professionals want to build this expertise but cannot leave their jobs to study full-time. This is the reason why flexible education is so important. Programmes designed specifically for working professionals allow you to acquire new knowledge and gain relevant skills while you keep working at sea or on shore.
At MLA College, our two programmes focus on building expertise in sustainable maritime operations:
Both programmes are validated by the University of Plymouth and delivered through flexible distance learning. It means you can keep working while you build your understanding of maritime sustainability, environmental regulation, and operational decision-making.
To support professionals who want to take this next step, MLA College has also introduced the Blue Leadership Scholarship, which offers:
The scholarship is designed to help professionals wishing to grow their expertise and contribute to the industry’s move towards a more sustainable maritime operations.
Maritime industry has always adapted to change. From new technologies to changing regulations, professionals across the sector have consistently developed the knowledge needed to keep global shipping moving safely and efficiently.
The transition towards more sustainable maritime operations is another moment that requires the same mindset. New fuels, stricter emissions targets, digital systems and environmental rules are changing how maritime organisations work. But progress will not come from technology or policy alone. It will rely on professionals who know how the industry works in practice.
By building new sustainability expertise alongside your operational experience, you can help your organisation through this transition. You will not only enhance your own career within the maritime industry, but also help shape the sector’s future.
If you want to deepen your understanding of sustainable maritime practices while continuing your career, explore MLA College’s programmes focused on sustainable maritime operations:
The sustainable maritime skills gap is the difference between the skills people in the industry have now and the expertise needed to meet the challenges of lower-emission shipping, environmental compliance and sustainable operations.
The industry is changing fast. New emissions targets, environmental rules, digital monitoring and alternative fuels all need knowledge that older training programmes did not include.
Many professionals are developing skills in areas such as maritime decarbonisation strategies, environmental regulation, emissions monitoring, operational data analysis and sustainable project management.
Working professionals already understand how maritime operations work in practice. They know how vessels operate, how regulations affect daily decisions and where operational challenges appear. When professionals combine this experience with new knowledge of sustainability, environmental regulation and data-driven decision-making, they can help organisations turn environmental goals into practical operational improvements.
The Blue Leadership Scholarship, offered by MLA College, supports professionals who want to develop their leadership capability in sustainable maritime operations. The scholarship is applicable to two sustainable maritime operations programmes that provide specialised knowledge in maritime sustainability, environmental regulation and operational decision-making:
