The UK Government has published its Net Zero Strategy: ‘Build Back Greener’. This sets out how the Government intends to cut emissions across different sectors, including the maritime industry.

The strategy plots a course to net zero for the UK domestic maritime sector, with indicative targets from 2030, and how it plans to achieve net zero as early as possible.

Following public consultation in 2022, the Government plans to establish an ambitious ‘Course to Zero’. Once the listening exercise has concluded, ambitious targets will be set and embedded in its Clean Maritime Plan.

The consultation will look at a potential phase-out date for the sale of new non-zero emission domestic vessels and how economic incentives can be used to accelerate decarbonisation of the domestic maritime sector. The consultation, which is expected to be published in winter 2021, will also assess what is needed to support the uptake of shorepower in the UK.

It will also explore the potential to establish a UK Shipping Office for Reducing Emissions (UK-SHORE) in cooperation with UKRI and Innovate UK.

Read the Government’s strategy here.