<p>Decarbonizing global shipping is an urgent climate mandate in a world striving for deep decarbonization. This study aims to provide a thorough and forward-looking examination of the maritime sector’s concerns regarding decarbonization. Using a structural topic model rooted in machine learning and computational linguistics, we analyze topics and trends in 46.49 million words of news articles during 2010–2024, covering the top 52 countries contributing to carbon emissions, as estimated by a bottom-up method based on Automatic Identification System data. Our research suggests that major concerns are support for sustainable development, clean fuels, global climate change and emissions, fuel technology for vessels, and decarbonization targets and regulations. The overall trends have pragmatically shifted toward actionable strategies, with increasing attention on cleaner fuels, infrastructure improvements and just transition. Hydrogen features prominently, emerging as a leading candidate for maritime decarbonization. The study provides valuable insights for achieving the ambitious target of maritime decarbonization by mid-century.</p>