Blog: The importance of net zero for economic growth and sustainable development

On 26 September, the Government commissioned a review of the Net Zero Strategy, which was published in October 2021 ahead of COP26, with the aim of better understanding the economic impact of delivering its net zero pathway.

The Net Zero Review, chaired by Chris Skidmore MP, is set to report back to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) by the end of the year. As part of the Review, BEIS launched a related call for evidence during the month of October to gather views from the general public, businesses and other organisations.

Maritime UK submitted a response to this call for evidence, reiterating the sector’s commitment to net zero carbon emissions by 2050 and highlighting the importance of maritime in achieving this ambition across the economy.

Maritime UK acknowledged a series of significant developments in progressing recommendations under the environment pillar of Maritime 2050, such as £98 million of government funding over four years as part of the Clean Maritime Demonstration Competition (CMDC).

At the same time, Maritime UK urged government to address a number of considerations made in MUK’s response to the DfT consultation on ‘plotting a course to zero’ for domestic maritime decarbonisation, particularly ahead of the CMP Refresh due in 2023. These included calls on government to:

• Provide clarity on the difference between achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050 and absolute zero greenhouse gas emissions;
• Update the research base informing pathways to domestic maritime decarbonisation, with the active input of the Clean Maritime Council;
• Reflect on its role in driving forward domestic maritime decarbonisation, recognising the priorities of the different industries within the maritime sector.

In summary, while MUK’s response recognised that government and industry had both made a substantive start towards decarbonisation, it pointed to the need to increase the scale and pace of this joint effort with a government approach that encourages all solutions through technology-neutral policies, as well as increased engagement from all government departments in strong cross-Whitehall fora.

You can find Maritime UK’s full response to the call for evidence on the BEIS Net Zero Review here.