Select committee: Environmental Audit Committee
Conclusion 12
Seventh Report - Net zero and UK shipping
Published 29 May 2024
Paragraph 134
Environmental Audit Committee Net zero aviation and shipping All items in this report Report on parliament.uk ↗ Inquiry on parliament.uk ↗
Conclusion (the committee's words)
The Government’s current refusal to guarantee funding for research and development into maritime decarbonisation beyond March 2025 is regrettable. We note that the Aviation Technology Institute has received a guarantee of funding to 2030, no doubt reflecting the importance to the economy, and to decarbonisation targets, of rapid progress in reducing emissions from domestic and international aviation. By failing to guarantee Government support for research and development into reducing domestic and international shipping emissions, Ministers risk stifling progress in this sector. Although decarbonisation of domestic and international shipping is less advanced than decarbonisation of aviation, it is just as challenging to undertake, and demands significant investment decisions from Government and industry in the short term if net zero goals are to be met.
From: Environmental Audit Committee, Seventh Report - Net zero and UK shipping (HC 509), paragraph 134, 29 May 2024
Government response
The government responded to the whole report on 13 February 2025 (deadline 29 July 2024).
Summary written by Accountability Index from the government's response. It is not the government's own words.The government accepts most of the Committee's recommendations on net zero shipping, partially accepts some and "notes" others, and says its planned maritime decarbonisation strategy will address many of them.
- On IMO action, it accepts the recommendations and says it will build consensus so that "ambitious measures are agreed" at the 83rd MEPC in 2025 and implemented in 2027, and will seek to increase the stringency of the 2023 GHG Strategy when revised in 2028.
- It accepts the recommendation on interim targets, saying it is "considering options" for 2030 and 2040 targets, and aims to legislate for international aviation and shipping emissions in the Sixth Carbon Budget at the earliest opportunity, "subject to Parliamentary scheduling".
- On funding, it "partially accepts" the recommendation, saying it will consider how best to take it forward "as part of the next multi-year spending review". It "notes" the recommendations on a revenue support mechanism and on consulting on port entry limits, saying more evidence is needed and that consulting on port entry would be "premature".
- It accepts the recommendation on the revised plan, saying the strategy will be published "shortly" and will cover a pathway to net zero with interim goals for 2030 and 2040. It gives no specific date.