Most Emission-Efficient Container Ships
Ships ranked by AER (Annual Efficiency Ratio) — grams of CO₂ emitted per tonne of deadweight carried one nautical mile (g CO₂/dwt·nm), the IMO carbon-intensity metric behind the CII rating — from official EU MRV emissions data for reporting year 2025. Lower is greener. Pick a segment and size class to see the greenest vessels first.
| # | Vessel | Size (TEU) | Built | Carbon intensity — AER (g CO₂/dwt·nm) | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1501 |
MSC NISHA V
IMO 9326768
|
4,298 TEU | 2006 |
10.7
|
D |
| 1502 |
CMA CGM CONSTANZA
IMO 9471202
|
4,250 TEU | 2010 |
10.7
|
D |
| 1503 |
RDO LIBERTY
IMO 9631113
|
3,614 TEU | 2013 |
10.7
|
D |
| 1504 |
LIVERPOOL EXPRESS
IMO 9232565
|
4,115 TEU | 2002 |
10.7
|
D |
| 1505 |
CMA CGM ISKENDERUN
IMO 9321902
|
3,500 TEU | 2007 |
10.7
|
D |
| 1506 |
XIN NAN TONG
IMO 9262132
|
4,050 TEU | 2003 |
10.7
|
D |
| 1507 |
CMA CGM JAMAICA
IMO 9326770
|
4,298 TEU | 2006 |
10.7
|
D |
| 1508 |
MSC RABAT IV
IMO 9329643
|
3,400 TEU | 2007 |
10.8
|
D |
| 1509 |
MSC GIADA III
IMO 9232773
|
2,732 TEU | 2002 |
10.8
|
D |
| 1510 |
MAERSK NEWARK
IMO 9402615
|
2,504 TEU | 2008 |
10.8
|
D |
| 1511 |
ATLANTIC SAIL
IMO 9670585
|
3,817 TEU | 2016 |
10.8
|
D |
| 1512 |
MSC LEVINA III
IMO 9330513
|
2,824 TEU | 2006 |
10.8
|
D |
| 1513 |
SIARGAO
IMO 9944742
|
1,800 TEU | 2023 |
10.8
|
D |
| 1514 |
KASSIAKOS
IMO 9386471
|
4,360 TEU | 2009 |
10.8
|
D |
| 1515 |
TONGALA
IMO 9278105
|
4,253 TEU | 2004 |
10.8
|
D |
| 1516 |
ERATO
IMO 9472103
|
2,500 TEU | 2011 |
10.8
|
D |
| 1517 |
MSC ANNICK
IMO 9169122
|
3,987 TEU | 1998 |
10.8
|
D |
| 1518 |
MSC ASSUNTA III
IMO 9243590
|
2,672 TEU | 2004 |
10.8
|
D |
| 1519 |
MSC PROSPERITY II
IMO 9256418
|
1,262 TEU | 2003 |
10.8
|
D |
| 1520 |
GREAT COTONOU
IMO 9935064
|
2,000 TEU | 2024 |
10.8
|
D |
| 1521 |
EVER CHART
IMO 9950777
|
1,800 TEU | 2024 |
10.8
|
D |
| 1522 |
MAERSK INCHEON
IMO 9329629
|
3,400 TEU | 2006 |
10.9
|
D |
| 1523 |
EM KEA
IMO 9334351
|
3,108 TEU | 2007 |
10.9
|
D |
| 1524 |
MSC ANISHA R.
IMO 9227297
|
4,112 TEU | 2002 |
10.9
|
D |
| 1525 |
CMA CGM SAN ANTONIO
IMO 9294173
|
2,824 TEU | 2005 |
10.9
|
D |
| 1526 |
ATLANTIC SEA
IMO 9670597
|
3,817 TEU | 2012 |
10.9
|
D |
| 1527 |
EVER CHAMP
IMO 9950765
|
1,800 TEU | 2023 |
10.9
|
D |
| 1528 |
BERNARD A
IMO 9415959
|
1,604 TEU | 2009 |
10.9
|
D |
| 1529 |
CMA CGM LEBU
IMO 9443463
|
4,250 TEU | 2010 |
10.9
|
D |
| 1530 |
LORRAINE
IMO 9311763
|
2,742 TEU | 2006 |
10.9
|
D |
| 1531 |
TAMPA I
IMO 9196840
|
6,252 TEU | 2000 |
10.9
|
D |
| 1532 |
CARMEL I
IMO 9395927
|
4,300 TEU | 2010 |
10.9
|
D |
| 1533 |
CORELLI
IMO 9126766
|
1,119 TEU | 1997 |
10.9
|
D |
| 1534 |
MATHILDE SCHULTE
IMO 9676709
|
2,300 TEU | 2015 |
11.0
|
D |
| 1535 |
MSC AGNA II
IMO 9509774
|
1,496 TEU | 2009 |
11.0
|
D |
| 1536 |
MSC CHIQUITA III
IMO 9336189
|
2,500 TEU | 2007 |
11.0
|
D |
| 1537 |
LETO
IMO 9311880
|
3,091 TEU | 2006 |
11.0
|
D |
| 1538 |
MSC FALCON III
IMO 9299032
|
2,478 TEU | 2004 |
11.0
|
D |
| 1539 |
INDEPENDENT FUTURE
IMO 9246712
|
3,091 TEU | 2005 |
11.0
|
D |
| 1540 |
DIMITRIS C
IMO 9210074
|
3,430 TEU | 2001 |
11.1
|
D |
| 1541 |
CONTAINERSHIPS ARCTIC
IMO 9818400
|
1,368 TEU | 2015 |
11.1
|
D |
| 1542 |
BAHRI JAZAN
IMO 9620970
|
364 TEU | 2013 |
11.1
|
D |
| 1543 |
MSC TIAN III
IMO 9359715
|
2,401 TEU | 2007 |
11.1
|
D |
| 1544 |
MSC RESILIENT III
IMO 9240873
|
2,602 TEU | 2002 |
11.1
|
D |
| 1545 |
CMA CGM AFRICA FOUR
IMO 9451965
|
3,600 TEU | 2010 |
11.1
|
D |
| 1546 |
MSC JULIA R.
IMO 9227338
|
4,112 TEU | 2002 |
11.1
|
D |
| 1547 |
ZIM IBERIA
IMO 9431719
|
4,250 TEU | 2009 |
11.1
|
D |
| 1548 |
VELA
IMO 9406180
|
4,254 TEU | 2009 |
11.1
|
D |
| 1549 |
BAHRI TABUK
IMO 9620968
|
364 TEU | 2013 |
11.1
|
D |
| 1550 |
CONTSHIP PEP II
IMO 9470961
|
1,970 TEU | 2010 |
11.1
|
D |
Which engines power the greenest fleets?
The main engine is the single largest CO₂ source on board — typically well over 80% of a ship's emissions come from propulsion. We aggregated this ranking the other way around: every engine design is scored by the measured carbon intensity of the vessels carrying it, licensee-built units merged under their design brand. The verdict from the 2025 data — modern dual-fuel designs like MAN B&W's ME-GI and WinGD's X-DF families, together with EGR/SCR-abated and ultra-long-stroke G-type engines, consistently power the most emission-friendly ships in service.
AER (Annual Efficiency Ratio) = annual CO₂ emissions ÷ (deadweight × distance sailed), the IMO carbon-intensity metric used for CII ratings. It is built only from measured CO₂, distance and deadweight — not the self-reported cargo transport-work figure, which is unreliable. Implausible outliers (top 2% per segment) are excluded. Grade A–E reflects each vessel's rank within its segment. Source: EMSA THETIS-MRV.