(www.MaritimeCyprus.com) The Paris Agreement adopted in 2015 sets a common goal for global GHG emissions reduction, which is to keep the increase in global average temperature to at least well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels while aiming to limit it to 1.5°C.
International shipping is no exception; the International Maritime Organization (IMO) adopted the 2023 IMO Strategy on Reduction of GHG Emission from Ships in July 2023, which includes a target for total annual GHG emissions from international shipping to be net-zero by or around 2050.
On the other hand, European Union (EU) has set a goal of reducing GHG emissions by at least 55% by 2030 compared to the 1990 levels, with the aim of achieving net zero emissions by 2050. In July 2021, a comprehensive climate policy package, “Fit for 55," was announced to achieve the 2030 target, including proposals of the extension of the EU Emissions Trading System (EU-ETS) to the shipping sector and FuelEU Maritime to promote the decarbonization of fuels used on board ships. Subsequently, the EU-ETS extended to the shipping sector from January 2024 and the FuelEU Maritime has been introduced from January 2025.
FuelEU Maritime, an EU regulation aimed at promoting the decarbonization of fuels used on board ships, has entered into force and applies to all ships above 5,000 gross tonnage calling at EU ports from January 1, 2025.
In this “FAQs on the FuelEU Maritime (5th Edition)”, the contents have been updated to include mainly information regarding the guidelines on the reporting and verification of actual Tank-to-Wake methane slip emission factors, which were issued by the European Commission in October 2025. Readers of this document may wish to note that the information provided herein is solely based on as of the end of February 2026 and that many points are yet to be clarified about the practical implementation.
Download below the 5th Edition Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) on the EU-ETS:
Source: ClassNK
For more info on EU Emissions Trading System, click HERE
