A new study by European Shipowners | ECSA has quantified for the first time how much revenues shipping contributes to the national budget of EU member states. The analysis shows that shipping contributes in total up to EUR 9 billion annually to the EU and national budgets.
However, European Community Shipowners’ Associations (ECSA) urge for a requirement to reinvest these revenues in clean fuel availability and clean tech projects for the energy transition of shipping.
Since 1 January 2024, maritime transport has been covered by the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS). From the 2026 reporting year onwards, following a phase-in period, shipping companies must surrender allowances (EUAs) for 100% of emissions within the EU ETS scope.
This creates a large and recurring contribution from the sector. Since its inclusion in 2024, shipping companies reported around 90 million tonnes of verified emissions a year falling under the full scope of the EU ETS.
The study reveals a breakdown of the shipping’s contribution to the national budget of each member state. Shipping is estimated to contribute around EUR 9 billion a year to EU and member states’ revenues under a scenario with the carbon price at EUR 100 per tonne CO2. As highlighted, even under a lower price scenario of EUR 85, the sector brings in a significantly high EUR 7.65 billion annually.
In total, shipping brings in national revenues of EUR 7.7 billion under the EUR 100 scenario and EUR 6.6 billion under the EUR 85 scenario, without counting the EU revenues.
ECSA argues that these revenues are not reinvested in the sector’s energy transition – with few exceptions. According to the Commission’s 2025 Carbon Market Report, member states spent around 5% of their total ETS revenues on the energy transition of the economy.
Moreover, sustainable fuels for shipping remain on average four times more expensive than fuels currently used.
Investment needs for the energy transition of shipping in Europe alone are estimated at around EUR 40 billion annually. Against this backdrop, only a few EU member states have so far earmarked a dedicated share of their EU ETS revenue for shipping to support the uptake of clean tech and sustainable fuels.
European shipowners already represent 44% of the global orderbook for sustainable fuel-powered ships. But Europe produces only 10% of sustainable fuels globally, with less than 5% intended for maritime use, while Asia accounts for 74% of fuel production projects. In accordance with ECSA, without support to bridge this gap, fuel availability will not keep pace with fleet investment.
“Our new analysis shows that shipping contributes in total up to EUR 9 billion annually to the EU and national budgets,” ECSA said. “We need to see these revenues to be invested in the energy transition of the sector. The upcoming revision of the EU ETS, expected in July, is an opportunity to require Member States to use this money at national level to bridge the price gap and support sustainable fuel availability and clean tech projects.”
