"Carbon War Room" rates efficiency of ships at new data hub

Richard Branson has set up a free internet database that will list the energy efficiency of ocean-going vessels in an effort to reduce shipping emissions.

The initiative, Shippingefficiency.org, aims to reduce emissions by up to 25pc by rating ships on a scale of A to G, much like domestic appliances are rated.

Launched by the Carbon War Room, of which Branson is a co-founder, Shippingefficiency.org enables importers and holiday makers alike to take advantage of the database using publicly available data on the engine size and CO2 emissions of nearly 6,000 ships and decide between clean or dirty ships.

The rating uses methodology developed by the United Nations' International Maritime Organisation (IMO) for the Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) and data from the world's largest ship registry, IHS Fairplay.