EU shipping emissions hit their highest level on record

EU shipping emissions jumped to their highest level since official monitoring began, driven by strong post-pandemic demand and an expanding fleet.

Transport & Environment warns that the sector’s trajectory is incompatible with the EU’s climate goals, especially as many major carriers remain slow to adopt cleaner fuels. The data underscores the scale of emissions reduction required ahead of the sector’s entry into the EU ETS.

EU shipping emissions reached a new record high last year, according to new data released by Transport & Environment (T&E). The sector produced more greenhouse gases than ever since official monitoring began, reflecting rising demand, larger vessels, and limited progress on switching to cleaner fuels. T&E notes that the majority of emissions growth came from container ships, oil tankers and ro-ro cargo ships, with many operators continuing to rely on conventional fuels despite the availability of zero-emission alternatives.

The organisation warns that the sector’s current emissions trend puts it off-track for meeting EU climate commitments. With shipping now progressively entering the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS), T&E says the rising cost of carbon should push carriers to accelerate fuel switching, efficiency upgrades and investment in green vessels. Without rapid action, shipping risks becoming one of the EU’s largest and most difficult-to-decarbonise sectors.

Source: Transport & Environment (T&E)