Government sets out maritime decarbonisation strategy
On 25th March 2025 the Maritime Minister, Mike Kane MP, set out the government’s vision for the future of the UK’s maritime sector, with the publication of the new ‘Maritime Decarbonisation Strategy’. The strategy sets out plans to encourage and support the maritime sector in using fuels of the future and shipping ‘charge points’ to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The maritime decarbonisation strategy sets new domestic decarbonisation goals for a 30% reduction by 2030 and an 80% reduction by 2040 (both relative to 2008) and outlines key policies to meet them.
Read the Maritime Decarbonisation Strategy policy paper here: Maritime decarbonisation strategy – GOV.UK
Government calls for evidence in the maritime sector
To support the Maritime Decarbonisation Strategy work, the Government have published two supplementary calls for evidence: on Net zero ports and Smaller vessels – measures for small, sub-400 gross tonnage (GT) vessels and accelerating uptake in targeted subsectors. These calls for evidence will allow the Government to gather evidence to provide a more holistic understanding of the current state of play of the maritime sector and how to decarbonise the sector moving forward.
Net zero ports call for evidence
This publication will collect evidence to support the government’s consideration of an at-berth emissions requirement in the maritime decarbonisation strategy. It looks at the role of ports in enabling shipping to decarbonise and reduce shipping’s wider environmental impacts. This includes providing new infrastructure and aims to capture evidence on the future electricity demand at ports, recognising this is a shared asset to enable ports, shipping and port tenants to decarbonise and capture new commercial and economic opportunities.
The publication also looks at the progress ports are making in decarbonising their own operations and how government could potentially galvanise the sector to decarbonise. There’s a focus on whether ports are planning to decarbonise their own operations, their goals and what they’ve included in their strategies, including wider environmental considerations.
Measures for small, sub-400 GT vessels and accelerating uptake in targeted subsectors call for evidence
This call evidence will provide government with essential information and data to help decarbonise and reduce the environmental impacts of vessels under 400 gross tonnage. It asks questions on the costs of these vessels, when the new technologies will be ready, what infrastructure will be required and where these vessels are likely to be built. It seeks to identify which subsectors have a clear decarbonisation pathway and may be able to move quickly. This call for evidence represents a balance between ambition and deliverability, recognising that some subsectors such as fishing will need more time, and that this is the start of a conversation with them. This will allow the Government to have a stronger evidence base to make informed policy decisions in the future.
