Carbon footprint of cargo ship types in the UK 2022

The average carbon footprint of cargo ships operating within the United Kingdom varies greatly by type. Large RoPax ferries, or cruise ships, have the largest emissions per metric ton of goods shipped per kilometer, at 376.67 grams of CO2. In comparison, bulk carriers emit 3.54 grams of CO2 per metric ton of goods shipped per kilometer.

Emissions at UK ports

The south coast city of Southampton is home to the most polluting port in the UK. The Port of Southampton’s maritime supply chain emissions amounted to roughly 1.6 million metric tons of CO2 (MtCO2) in 2018 (the most recent available data). That same year, the UK had the fourth-largest maritime supply chain emissions in Europe. This was mainly due to the UK being an island nation with a large number of ports.

UK GHG emissions from shipping

UK greenhouse gas emissions from shipping amounted to almost 14 MtCO2e in 2019, of which domestic shipping accounted for roughly 44 percent. Annual domestic shipping emissions in the UK have fallen 29 percent, relative to 1990 levels. Shipping accounts for roughly five percent of UK transportation emissions.