Source · Select Committees · Environmental Audit Committee
Recommendation 8
8
Accepted
Paragraph: 60
Assess merits of introducing voyage-based measure for UK's international shipping emissions contribution.
Recommendation
We recommend that the Government urgently assess the merits of introducing a voyage- based measure of the UK’s contribution to international shipping emissions, so as to provide a sounder basis for developing policy on reducing that contribution. It is in the interests of the industry and policymakers alike that the matter is swiftly clarified, and that the legislation to include international aviation and shipping emissions in the Sixth Carbon Budget is brought before Parliament for approval without further delay.
Government response summary AI-generated
The government accepts the recommendation, stating they have already developed a new maritime emissions model and will use it to review the methodology for UK national accounting. They also aim to legislate for the inclusion of international aviation and shipping emissions in the Sixth Carbon Budget at the earliest opportunity, subject to Parliamentary scheduling.
Summary of the government's response below — read the verbatim text to verify.
Paragraph Reference:
60
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government · verbatim extract
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. Net zero offers the UK an unrivalled opportunity to secure benefits for the UK maritime sector and the UK’s research and manufacturing base. It is now high time for Ministers to advance to the next stage of policy development 1 https://www.imo.org/en/about/Conventions/Pages/International-Convention-for-the- Prevention-of- Pollution-from-Ships-(MARPOL).aspx 2 https://www.imo.org/en/OurWork/MSAS/Pages/Default.aspx by setting stretching but achievable interim targets for UK domestic and international shipping emissions, consistent with carbon budget requirements and the overall 2050 net zero target.
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