Rules and Technical Information

Implementation Guidance on the Extension of the UK ETS to the Maritime Sector.

Registration date : 2026.05.12 Views : 139

This Technical Information supersedes the previously issued Technical Information 2021-ETC-07.

As part of the United Kingdom's strategy to achieve Net Zero by 2050, the UK Government has decided to revoke the existing UK MRV regulations and to bring the maritime sector within the scope of the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (UK ETS), with effect from 1 July 2026.

Accordingly, maritime operators of ships of 5,000 gross tonnage (GT) and above are required not only to monitor, report and verify their greenhouse gas emissions (CO₂, CH₄, N₂O), but also to surrender UK Allowances (UKA) corresponding to those emissions in each scheme year. The first reporting period covers six months (1 July to 31 December 2026), with the verified annual emissions report due by 31 March of the following year. To ease the initial compliance burden, a one-off "double-surrender" arrangement applies, under which allowances in respect of the 2026 and 2027 scheme years may be surrendered together by 30 April 2028.

This Technical Information sets out the key elements of the regulatory framework arising from the extension of the UK ETS to the maritime sector — including the scope and applicability, surrender rates by voyage type, responsible parties and the relevant regulators, the implementation procedures (Emissions Monitoring Plan, Annual Emissions Report and others), and the compliance timeline — with the aim of helping KR-classed operators and other stakeholders to understand and effectively respond to their obligations under the UK ETS.

We hope that this Technical Information will serve as a useful reference for maritime operators in implementing their UK ETS obligations.

If you have any questions regarding the matters set out in the attached document, please do not hesitate to contact the author.

Thank you.

File