<![CDATA[The transition toward low-emission shipping requires not only technological and regulatory measures but also adequate knowledge, awareness, and competency development among maritime stakeholders. This study investigates the level of understanding, awareness, training exposure, and readiness of maritime professionals and students regarding decarbonization and evaluates the perceived role of maritime education in supporting greenhouse gas emission reduction. A cross-sectional quantitative approach was employed using a structured questionnaire distributed to 105 respondents comprising seafarers, maritime practitioners, government personnel, and maritime students. The questionnaire used a five-point Likert scale and covered key aspects of decarbonization knowledge, educational support, training implementation, curriculum integration, and skills readiness. The results indicate a relatively high level of awareness and support for maritime decarbonization. The mean score for understanding decarbonization was 3.83, while 73.3% of respondents demonstrated awareness of IMO emission-reduction targets. In addition, 78.1% perceived maritime education as an effective means of supporting emission reduction, and 79.1% supported stronger collaboration between maritime education and industry. However, 41.9% of respondents reported that they had not received formal decarbonization training, revealing a clear gap between awareness and structured competency development. The questionnaire showed high internal consistency, with Cronbach’s alpha values of 0.957 and 0.978 for the two principal variables. These findings highlight the need to strengthen competency-based decarbonization education, expand access to formal training, and enhance collaboration among maritime institutions, industry, and government to better prepare the maritime workforce for the transition toward low-emission and sustainable shipping.]]>
