Source · Select Committees · Environmental Audit Committee
Recommendation 26
26
Accepted in Part
Require Government to publish its plan for aligning policies with the ITLOS marine pollution opinion.
Recommendation
We call on the Government to set out how it will align its policies with the advisory opinion issued by the International Tribunal for the Law of the Seas, including recognising greenhouse gas emissions as marine pollution and implementing measures to prevent, reduce, and mitigate such pollution based on the best available science. The Government should publish its position within two months of the publication of this report. (Recommendation, Paragraph 92)
Government Response Summary
The government partially agrees, stating it carefully considers the Tribunal’s Opinion and details ongoing efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, including an 81% target by 2035 and the Maritime Decarbonisation Strategy. It does not commit to a specific plan for aligning policies with the ITLOS opinion or publishing its position within two months.
Government Response
Accepted in Part
HM Government
Accepted in Part
The UK has engaged closely with these Advisory proceedings and carefully considers the Tribunal’s Opinion. Climate change is recognised as one of the defining global challenges we face, and the UK is firmly committed to delivering our commitments under the Paris Agreement and recognises the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) system as the primary intergovernmental negotiating forum for climate action. This Government continues to lead internationally, with an ambitious target to reduce all greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by at least 81% by 2035 (excluding international aviation and shipping). The UK also championed the landmark agreement reached at the International Maritime Organisation’s (IMO) 83rd Marine Environment Protection Committee meeting in April 2025, that will reduce global shipping emissions, and continues to press for its adoption in October. International leadership starts with strong domestic action. The Maritime Decarbonisation Strategy, published in March 2025, sets goals to reduce the UK domestic maritime sector’s life fuel life-cycle GHG emissions by 2050, with interim goals for 2030 and 2040. Key measures include fuel regulation, expanding the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) to maritime from 2026, and exploring measures to reduce emissions at berth and from smaller vessels. The UK is also addressing evidence gaps to include coastal wetlands in the GHG inventory, working through the UK Blue Carbon Evidence Partnership. Internationally, the UK leads the Global Ocean Alliance and supports developing nations through the Blue Planet Fund. The Government therefore partially agrees with this recommendation.