Maritime glossary · Carbon Intensity Indicator
CII
An annual rating of how efficiently a ship carries cargo per mile, graded A to E under IMO rules.
Definition
The Carbon Intensity Indicator measures a ship’s operational carbon efficiency, the CO2 emitted per tonne of cargo carried per nautical mile, and grades each ship from A to E each year. The required rating tightens annually, so a ship rated D for three years running, or E in any year, must produce a corrective action plan. Because CII depends on how a ship is actually operated, not just its design, it pushes owners and charterers toward slower steaming and better voyage planning.
How Vessel Hunter uses CII
CII pressure changes how ships are operated and traded. Vessel Hunter’s speed and voyage data show the behaviour behind the rating.
Related terms
- EEXIEnergy Efficiency Existing Ship Index
An IMO measure of an existing ship’s design energy efficiency, required to meet a CO2 standard since 2023.
- MARPOLMarine Pollution Convention
The IMO convention preventing pollution from ships: oil, chemicals, garbage, sewage, air emissions, sulphur.
- Knot
A unit of speed equal to one nautical mile per hour, the standard measure of a vessel’s speed.
The bigger picture
CII is one piece of the commercial maritime picture Vessel Hunter pulls together for shipyards, suppliers, service providers, and port agents. Every vessel record bundles AIS, ownership, inspections, dry-dock history, casualty record, classification status, and a verified contact for the operator decision-maker behind the ship, so the team that reaches out first wins the work.
Continue reading: full maritime glossary · every Vessel Hunter feature.