Here are the climate-related sections of speeches by MPs during the Commons debate UK Shipping Office for Reducing Emissions.
Keir Mather (Labour)
In March 2025, the Department for Transport published the maritime decarbonisation strategy, which set out the pathway for our domestic maritime sector to reach zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and included policies and regulations to drive emissions reductions. Research and development is needed to ensure that clean maritime technologies are available at scale as early as possible at an affordable price for the sector to adopt. Supporting UK R&D builds on UK expertise and innovation—a guiding principle of the MDS.
Since 2022, the UK Shipping Office for Reducing Emissions—UK SHORE—programme in the DfT has allocated £240 million R&D funding to develop clean maritime technologies. UK SHORE has funded more than 200 projects leveraging over £110 million direct private investment. This funding has benefited all UK nations and regions, supporting over 500 organisations including over 250 SMEs. UK SHORE has enabled the sector to develop electric and efficiency solutions for various vessel types, like ferries, cargo vessels and offshore wind vessels, and progressed zero and near zero greenhouse gas emission solutions, such as hydrogen, ammonia and methanol. Further R&D is required to develop solutions to maturity and increase commercial viability.
That is why I am pleased to announce that we intend to fund £448 million of R&D investment for UK SHORE between 2026 and 2030. Building on the successes to date, the second phase of UK SHORE will further accelerate the technologies necessary to decarbonise the UK maritime sector and meet MDS aims through R&D, and capture economic growth opportunities by cementing the UK as a place for maritime innovation. Subject to business case approval, this will unlock innovation and investment potential in UK technologies, in UK businesses, at UK ports and in UK shipyards.
Accelerate the commercialisation of developed technologies, including through a future round of the zero emission vessels and infrastructure competition—ZEVI2—to be launched in 2026. This will fund the build and commercial trial of clean maritime solutions.
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