Committee on Climate Change

The Committee’s Review of UK Shipping Emissions was launched on 3rd November at the British Chamber of Shipping.

The review provides the first detailed assessment of the UK’s share of current international shipping emissions, projects emissions out to 2050 and estimates the abatement potential from shipping. The analysis in the report shows that:

• There is a great deal of uncertainty around what the appropriate UK figure for international shipping emission due to the lack of data that is currently available and the extent of transhipment (i.e. docking of ships at ports on route to the UK).
• Current emissions are likely to be in the range of 12 – 16 MtCO2 but could be higher.
• The UK’s share of international shipping could account for up to 11% of total emissions permitted under the Climate Change Act by 2050 (i.e. 18MtCO2 of total 160MtCO2)

The report highlighted two areas of policy which are essential in making progress on reducing shipping emissions:

1. Government should work with the EC and industry to gain access to fuel use data from ship operators in order to resolve uncertainties over current emissions.
2. Government should support market based approaches to reducing shipping emissions, ideally though the IMO or the UNFCCC but failing this, inclusions of international shipping EU ETS that is compatible with a future global agreement should be considered.

Emissions from international aviation and shipping are not at present included in carbon budgets or in the UK’s target to reduce emissions in 2050 by 80% below 1990 levels. Under the Climate Change Act, however, Parliament must decide by the end of 2012 whether to include emissions from international aviation and shipping in carbon budgets. The Committee suggests 3 options for inclusion:

1. International shipping emissions are included in the 2050 target and carbon budgets now.
2. They are included in the 2050 target and carbon budgets when progress has been made on a methodology to accurately reflect international shipping emissions.
3. They are included in the 2050 target now, and in carbon budgets when progress has been made on a methodology to accurately reflect UK international shipping emissions.

The Committee will recommend the appropriate option for inclusion as part of formal advice to the Government on inclusion of aviation and shipping in carbon budgets in March 2012.

Chief Executive of the Committee, David Kennedy said:

“Our report highlights the high degree of uncertainty over current and future shipping emissions and the need to resolve this. However, it is clear that shipping emissions could well be significant, and so cannot be ignored – they should be included under the Climate Change Act. It is also clear that there is scope to reduce emissions, which would reduce costs of inclusion. In order to ensure this, the Government should proactively support development of new policies aimed at encouraging investment in cleaner shipping technologies and more efficient operational practices.” 

Read the report in full here and press release here.