21
May 26

Event Report | UK ETS and FuelEU Maritime in focus at Lloyd’s Register briefing

Our Policy Directors, Francesco Sandrelli and Katrina Ross, presented the UK Chamber's work on the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (UK ETS) and FuelEU Maritime at a Lloyd's Register industry briefing on 12 May. Bringing together industry and technical experts, the team examined the implementation emissions regulations and their implications for shipping, ahead of the UK ETS entry into force from 1 July 2026.

Francesco and Katrina joined LR's Christofer Willsher, Jennifer Riley-James, Alberto Perez and Luke Shu for the event, and provided the shipping industry’s perspective on the practical issues that must be addressed if the UK ETS is to work effectively.

A key concern, highlighted by the UK Chamber, was the lack of detailed, shipping-specific guidance - given that the UK framework currently offers less technical clarity for operators than the EU system. They also highlighted enforcement challenges, noting that the UK regime is structured differently and lacks some of the visibility and oversight mechanisms, such as Port State Control, vessel's certifications and verifiers' approvals, as seen in the EU MRV regime.

The discussion also focused on the administrative burden, the reinvestment of revenues into maritime decarbonisation, and the risk of market distortion between the UK and EU systems, particularly for offshore operators, for whom the rules will apply from January 2027. Without practical solutions, including measures to avoid double counting, companies could face disproportionate costs.

The Chamber continues to call for clearer public guidance, a revised implementation timeline, and protections for ferry-reliant communities, while also continuing to champion the importance of collaboration across industry and government to ensure that the system, once implemented, is fair, workable and aligned with global frameworks. 

For more information on our work in this area, please contact Francesco or Katrina. The slides from their presentation are available to download here