Who gets shipping’s ETS billions? New study lands as Brussels prepares review
- Shipping’s EU ETS payments generate up to €7.7bn annually for member states, with Germany the biggest beneficiary, according to the first country-by-country analysis of maritime carbon revenues
- Shipowners are lobbying Brussels to require governments to earmark part of ETS revenues for maritime decarbonisation, arguing only a fraction currently flows back to the sector
- The study lands ahead of the European Commission’s ETS review, which will shape the 2031-2040 framework as shipping faces a potential €90bn carbon bill over the next decade
Research commissioned by European shipowners shows how carbon revenues flow to national treasuries, adding new pressure to debates over how ETS funds should be spent
