Source · Select Committees · Environmental Audit Committee
Recommendation 7
7
Accepted
Paragraph: 59
Current international shipping emissions allocation method unsustainable for UK policy development.
Conclusion
The current method for allocating international shipping emissions between states appears unsustainable as a basis for making UK policy on international shipping emissions and determining the maximum emissions permissible from the UK’s international shipping in the Sixth Carbon Budget. The International Maritime 58 Net zero and UK shipping Organization has already moved away from the bunker sales measure to a voyage- based measure. This appears to give a more accurate picture of the overall contribution of international shipping activity to GHG emissions worldwide.
Government Response Summary
The government accepts the conclusion and has developed a new maritime emissions model based on global vessel data to review and update the methodology for calculating UK shipping emissions. They aim to legislate for the inclusion of international shipping emissions in the Sixth Carbon Budget.
Paragraph Reference:
59
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
The Government accepts this recommendation. As part of developing our evidence base, the Government has developed a new maritime emissions model. This model takes global vessel data from Automated Identification Systems (AIS) as the basis for calculating emissions, and allows for an ‘activity-based’, or ‘vessel-based’, measure of the UK’s share of international shipping emissions to be calculated. Moving forward we will use this new capability to review the methodology used in UK national accounting against the previous method, namely bunker fuel sales. The Government aims to legislate for the inclusion of International Aviation and Shipping emissions in the Sixth Carbon Budget at the earliest opportunity, subject to Parliamentary scheduling.