We supported a team of journalists from the European Investigative Collaborations network to produce Black Trail, a brilliant and comprehensive exposé of the shipping industry’s response to the climate crisis, regulations and taxation.

Led by The Black Sea Reporters and Expresso, Reporters United (Greece), RTS (Switzerland) and VG (Norway), and co-produced by SIC TV (Portugal) we provided research on the generous tax treatment enjoyed by global shipping.

The production travelled to Portugal, Greece, Italy, Switzerland, UK, France, and the Arctic to interview dozens of climate activists, experts, politicians, lobby groups, shipowners and health professionals.

The shipping’s special tax status means that bunker fuel is tax exempt, seafarers pay no income tax (though have very few worker protections), and corporate taxes are very low relative to profits.

Watch the Blacktrail documentary here.Read the Blacktrail longform story here.