The Environmental Audit Committee has released its findings on ‘net zero and UK shipping’.
In March 2021, the Committee opened an investigation into measures to decarbonise civil aviation and shipping, two of the UK’s most difficult industries to reduce.
In its report, the Committee offers numerous suggestions, the most important of which is that the government release an update to the 2019 Clean Maritime Plan within three months of the 2024 Parliament’s State Opening.
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Among the detailed recommendations made by the Committee are proposals that the Government should:
- Urgently evaluate the merits of implementing a voyage-based assessment of the UK’s contribution to international shipping emissions.
- Set ambitious but attainable intermediate objectives for UK domestic and international shipping emissions, in line with carbon budget needs and the overall 2050 net zero aim.
- Send strong and unequivocal signals to the UK maritime industry that it is committed to assisting with its transition to net zero, including examining financing prospects for the decarbonisation of UK shipping and matching money for research and development until at least 2030.
- Create a strategy to assist the production of zero-emission maritime fuels, accompanied by a delivery plan with specific production milestones, and consult on the implementation of a revenue support mechanism to encourage commercial production of zero-emission marine fuels.
