Every year, the dynamics of implementation of projects aimed at improving the efficiency of energy use is gradually increasing at different levels and in different industries. It has spread in the areas of design, modernization and reconstruction of energy-efficient buildings and structures, design and construction of elements of industrial infrastructure, and technological production processes. Introduction of such projects is a priority for enterprises and companies of various types of economic activity. Thus, the leading industries develop strategies to improve environmental safety and energy efficiency - shipping is no exception, where the process of improving energy efficiency is carried out through various mechanisms, ultimately leading to a reduction in emissions of pollutants, but having a negative impact on the performance of the commercial operation of the ship. Problems of ensuring energy efficiency along with increasing requirements for environmental safety of transport and strengthening the responsibility of shipowners become the focus of research of modern theory and practice of operation of means of maritime transport. The issues of improvement of universal principles of energy efficiency within individual shipping companies and development of tools for economic analysis of energy efficiency of own fleet, search for new ways of forming professional competencies of ship crew members in the field of energy efficiency continue to be topical as well.

Reduction of ecological risks of shipping is a challenging task that requires methods of legislative and regulatory control, organizational measures, and technical and technological support. Furthermore, the matter concerns not only the reduction of possible risks but also the level of existing impact on the marine environment because of exhaust gas emissions by ships, discharge of waste and ballast water, as well as control of ecological consequences of accidents. The purpose of this study is to analyse possible sources of environmental impact during ship operation cycles, identify significant risks, review existing potentials to reduce the risk of ship accidents and their environmental consequences, and develop solutions to existing problems. This study offers results, which can serve as the initial basis for the formation of comprehensive measures on the reduction of environmental risks, and consequences of possible accidents for the environment caused by ships and international shipping.

Widespread use of innovative technologies in all spheres of life has brought the maritime transport industry, in particular, the process of ship navigation, to a completely new qualitative level. Various navigation systems recently introduced and used only as additional devices have gradually become an obligatory element of shipboard equipment and navigation complexes of modern vessels, extending their functionality and capabilities. The human factor influence caused by automation of ship operation processes becomes a separate challenge. Risks to shipping safety and consequences of breach of safety standards for crew, vessel and cargo are far from being a full list of the problems to be solved. This paper offers an overview of general issues of ensuring the level of safety of shipping, by examining the concept of "vessel safety", considering its individual sides, features, as well as constituent aspects of the concept, systematization of the vessel safety structure to develop solutions toward improving the integral safety and optimization of decision-making in emergencies. Achievement of the general purpose of shipping safety thus means the realization of ways of reducing the influence of the human factor on several accidents and an estimation of the degree of influence of a set of factors on a ship during operation.