EU shipping sector adds up to €9 billion annually to ETS revenues

The European Shipowners' Association (ECSA) released a study quantifying how much revenue the shipping sector contributes to the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS). Under a carbon price of €100 per tonne CO₂, shipping is estimated to generate about €9 billion a year for EU and national budgets; at €85 per tonne the figure remains high at €7.65 billion.

National ETS revenues from shipping total €7.7 billion in the €100 scenario and €6.6 billion in the €85 scenario, not including EU‑level receipts. Currently, only a small fraction of ETS proceeds is allocated to the sector’s energy transition, with Member States spending roughly 5 % of total ETS revenues on climate projects.

The study urges EU member states to earmark a dedicated share of ETS income to close the price gap for sustainable marine fuels and to fund clean‑technology projects, noting that Europe needs around €40 billion annually to decarbonise its fleet. Europe produces just 10 % of global sustainable fuels, while Asia accounts for 74 % of production capacity. “Our new analysis shows that shipping contributes in total up to EUR 9 billion annually to the EU and national budgets. We need to see these revenues to be invested in the energy transition of the sector.”