Within the scope of the „Marine Environment Protection Committee“ (MEPC) of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), different instruments that can lead to a reduction of carbon emissions in international shipping are discussed. Among them also market-based instruments were considered. Against this backdrop, the objective of the project was twofold. First, we  identified potential impacts on operations and the organisation of companies in the shipping sector if one of the regulations discussed by MEPC was implemented. We thereby especially took possible alternative options for those design elements into account that are not yet specified within the different propositions presented at MEPC. Second, we evaluated the undetermined design elements during the analysis and derive recommendations for the design of one of the discussed elements. Initially, we analysed the approach of a worldwide carbon emissions trading scheme for ocean shipping, which is the instrument preferred and promoted by Germany. We carried out the analysis mostly by applying a case study and the review of the relevant theoretical and empirical literature of this context.