Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she has made an assessment of the potential environmental impacts of restricting the use of heavy fuel oil within the UK Exclusive Economic Zone.

The Government is committed to working through the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to reduce the global environmental impact of the maritime sector. We are a leading voice in supporting the adoption of the Net-Zero Framework to reduce global shipping’s greenhouse gas emissions, and remain committed to working with others to progress adoption of the Net-Zero Framework in 2026. Additional global measures, such as the introduction of stricter international sulphur regulations in 2020, have already reduced the use of traditional high sulphur Heavy Fuel Oil.

We are also taking action domestically through policies set out in the Maritime Decarbonisation Strategy. This presents a range of fuel scenarios, underpinned by our maritime emissions model, illustrating the varying ways in which the UK domestic maritime sector could transition from traditional fuels, such as heavy fuel oil, to zero, and near-zero, emission fuels. This is also informed by a wide range of other evidence including from industry, non-governmental organisations and academia.