Maritime Transport Contributes €7.65 Billion Annually to the EU ETS, According to ECSA's Most Conservative Estimates

The inclusion of maritime transport in the European Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) generates an estimated annual contribution of €7.65 billion, based on a price of €85 per ton of CO2 equivalent emitted, according to a report published by European Shipowners (ECSA).

The calculation is based on the nearly 90 million tons of verified CO2 emissions that ships reported in 2024 within the scope of the EU ETS.

Germany would be the main beneficiary, with a minimum estimated revenue of €1.417 billion annually. It is followed by Poland, with €827 million; Italy, with €669 million; and Spain, with €605 million. France would receive €387 million; Greece, €375 million; the Czech Republic, €319 million; Romania, €303 million; and the Netherlands, €237 million. Portugal would obtain €123 million.

However, this revenue is not reinvested in the energy transition of the sector. According to the 2025 Carbon Market Report from the Commission, member states allocated only 5% of their total EU ETS revenues to industrial energy transition. Maritime decarbonization, despite being explicitly mentioned in the Directive, receives little specific support.

The organization demands that a portion of these resources be reserved for maritime decarbonization. “We need these revenues to be invested in the energy transition of the sector,” stated ECSA, which calls for funding sustainable fuels and clean technologies through the upcoming revision of the EU ETS.

European shipowners already represent 44% of the global order book for ships powered by sustainable fuels. However, Europe only produces 10% of sustainable fuels worldwide, of which less than 5% is allocated for maritime use, while Asia concentrates 74% of the production projects for these fuels. Without supportive measures to bridge this gap, fuel availability will not keep pace with fleet investment.

Photo: Juan Carlos Díaz Lorenzo