“More questions than answers”: EAC publishes Government response on decarbonising shipping

13 February 2025

Government Response: Net zero and UK shipping

An uncertain immediate future for Government support for net zero shipping, combined with continued delays to an updated maritime decarbonisation strategy, could put at risk the UK’s leadership in cleaning up international shipping, the Environmental Audit Committee warns.

EAC publishes today the Government response to its predecessor Committee’s report on ‘Net zero and UK shipping’. While the Committee welcomed the generally positive tone taken by Government in responding to the report’s recommendations, Ministers have declined to state when the long–awaited revision of the Clean Maritime Plan of 2019 would be issued. It is also apparent from the response that future Government investment in the development of net zero shipping in the UK is dependent on the outcome of the upcoming spending review.

Within the response, the Transport Secretary confirms that the Government will work with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to champion the adoption and implementation of ambitious greenhouse gas reduction measures, and will work to make the IMO’s current greenhouse gas strategy from 2023 more stringent when it is revised in 2028.

Yet the Committee argues that these efforts will be undermined without a clear and consistent policy on how the UK intends to contribute domestically to decarbonising emissions from domestic and international UK shipping and from shipping using UK ports. In a letter to the Transport Secretary which is published alongside the report, Committee Chair Toby Perkins MP echoes the messages in the original report which stressed the need for clear messaging from Government to the sector on decarbonisation initiatives, and calls for clarity on future funding for research and development of clean fuels and technology solutions.

Chair comment

Environmental Audit Committee Chair, Toby Perkins MP, said:

“There appear to be more questions than answers on the Government’s approach to decarbonising the shipping industry. Globally, shipping on its own is responsible for 2% of the planet’s emissions.

“I warmly welcome the leadership role the UK Government continues to take on the decarbonisation agenda at the IMO, but this must be backed up with a clear and ambitious strategy domestically. It is for this reason that it is disappointing that we still do not have a date for when the Clean Maritime Plan will be published.

“The reasons for a stark disparity between Government support for decarbonisation measures in the aviation and the shipping sector remain unclear. The Transport Secretary did not offer information on the long-term future of Government support for net zero shipping measures. We look to the refreshed Clean Maritime Plan and the outcome of the upcoming Spending Review for indications as to the path the Government plans to chart to a net zero future for the UK domestic and international shipping sectors.

“The Committee continues to be frustrated by the lack of clarity as to when legislation will be introduced to include international aviation and shipping emissions in the Sixth and subsequent carbon budgets. I urge Ministers to offer an ironclad commitment as to when this critically important legislation will be laid before the House for approval.”

Further information

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