The UK Chamber of Shipping has outlined a roadmap for the UK shipping industry to reach net zero by 2050, with a proposed £700m investment in the upcoming budget to help make the UK a hub for clean shipping.
Key to this plan is cooperation between the industry and government to update the 2019 Clean Maritime Plan, to guide emission reduction efforts. The Chamber has made several recommendations to the government, highlighting areas where public investment can unlock significant private funding, including:
- Continuing research and development funding through UK SHORE.
- Providing shore power so ships can plug in at ports instead of running their engines.
- Protecting essential ferry services from costly emission trading scheme fees until they can fully decarbonise.
- Ensuring the UK maritime sector has the necessary skills and workforce for the future.
The chamber believes that with the right support, the UK could become a leading hub for future fuels, creating jobs not only in port cities but across the entire shipping supply chain. Currently, the UK supplies around 2m tonnes of fuel to ships annually, compared to Rotterdam’s 10m tonnes. As demand for cleaner fuels grows, the UK has a chance to play a major role in the clean maritime fuel industry.
UK Chamber of Shipping CEO Rhett Hatcher said: “A long term plan is an important first step but this must be matched by delivering the infrastructure we need as is already happening in other locations. This includes delivering on the required infrastructure, including a shore power revolution, to help attract green shipping to the UK, benefitting not just maritime communities but the entire maritime supply chain. The UK’s domestic ferry network vital for hundreds of thousands of people. Therefore, the Chamber is also calling for lifeline services to be exempt from the UK Emissions Trading Scheme, which shipping is due to enter in 2026, until infrastructure is deployed to allow these vessels to decarbonise. Domestic ferry operators are already taking action to reduce their emissions through measures such as improving fuel efficiency and hybrid vessels. But these operators are limited to what they can achieve by a lack of infrastructure meaning investment in assets such as electric or alternative fuel ferries is not viable.”
