Nature Sustainability, Published online: 18 August 2026; doi:10.1038/s41893-026-01907-7 Along the Asia–Europe shipping corridor, biofuels offer the strongest near-term option, potentially cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 31–47%, while electrofuels become more competitive after 2040 under the International Maritime Organization Net-Zero Framework. Policymakers could therefore adopt a phased strategy that prioritizes biofuels now and prepares infrastructure for electrofuels after 2040, to avoid locking shipping into transitional fossil fuels.