European Shipowners | ECSA and Airlines 4 Europe (A4E) call on the European Commission to scale up the sectors’ decarbonisation by using the EU and national ETS revenues in investments to make sustainable fuels and technologies available for shipping and aviation.

The two sectors contribute more than €11 billion annually to ETS revenues, according to industry estimates, with shipping accounting for €9 billion and aviation another €2.3 billion in 2024 alone.

The groups stated that while both industries are paying into the system, the revenues are not being sufficiently recycled into the technologies required to meet the EU’s decarbonisation targets.

The main obstacle is the cost of alternative fuels. Sustainable marine fuels are around four times more expensive than conventional fuels, and sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) cost between three and six times more than traditional jet fuel.

Bridging the price gap between sustainable and conventional fuels is key to increasing their availability on the market.

Both parties noted that the European Commission should require EU Member States to earmark at least part of their ETS revenues for the uptake and availability of sustainable fuels for shipping and aviation, and to incentivise them to top up any existing EU mechanisms with national ETS revenues.

Mr. Sotiris Raptis, Secretary General of European Shipowners | ECSA, stated:

“European shipowners are leading global investments in sustainable fuel-powered vessels, with 44% of the global orderbook, but Europe’s fuel availability is not keeping pace. Asia leads with 74% of fuel production projects, while Europe accounts for just 10%. Less than 5% of European sustainable fuel production is currently intended for maritime use.

Ms. Ourania Georgoutsakou, Managing Director of Airlines for Europe (A4E), added in her official statement:

“European airlines contributed €2.3 billion to EU ETS in 2024 alone – a figure set to exceed €5 billion annually by 2030.