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The UK Government’s cruise growth plan, launched in September, was developed closely with major industry players and aims to boost economic benefits for coastal communities. Touted as worth £5.8 billion annually and assumed to support 60,000 jobs, the plan promises investment and growth.
However, the plan fails to set out concrete measures to tackle the air pollution impacts of cruise growth, or to properly involve coastal communities, casting doubt on how expansion will be squared with the need to cut emissions. That is why, together with Opportunity Green, we are urging Keir Mather MP to put in place clear regulation, so any cruise growth is firmly aligned with the UK’s shipping decarbonisation goals.
Cruise ships dominate air pollution at the UK’s busiest cruise ports, accounting for up to 96% of sulphur oxide (SOx) emissions. In Southampton, the UK’s busiest and most polluted cruise port, just 46 cruise ships are responsible for over 50% of nitrogen oxide (NOx) and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) emissions, due to the prolonged time they spend docked.
These pollutants contribute directly to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, increasing risks of premature death, and underscores the disproportionate environmental and public health impact borne by communities near these ports.
“Since 2015, the North Sea and English Channel have been designated Sulphur Emission Control Areas (SECAs), requiring ships to use low-sulphur fuels to cut harmful emissions. Yet this is clearly not enough, with cruise ships burning dirty fuels while idling in ports continue to choke coastal communities and jeopardising public health. Pushing forward with unchecked cruise growth without robust, enforceable regulations to slash emissions is not only an oversight, it is a threat to lives and local environments,’’
T&E UK’s Sustainable Shipping Senior Officer Ariana Makinson, said.
Cruise ships also emit vastly more SOx pollution than cars in many UK coastal towns, with some smaller Scottish towns experiencing emissions 25 to 130 times higher from cruise ships than from local vehicles. Despite England’s population being roughly ten times that of Scotland, cruise ship SOx emissions in England are only about 1.2 times greater, highlighting the unequal impact of cruise pollution on Scotland’s coastal areas.
English ports such as Tilbury, Southampton, Dover, and Liverpool face similarly stark pollution disparities, with SOx emissions from cruise ships exceeding those from cars by over 65 times, 15 times, 4 times, and twice respectively. This data lays bare the disproportionate health and environmental costs inflicted by cruise operations on UK coastal communities.
‘’The impact on coastal communities from cruises is clear. Now it is time for action to cut cruise pollution, not increase it. As well as policies to require the use and supply of electricity in ports so cruises don’t have to burn fossil fuels the government needs to bring forward fuel policies to cut climate emissions from the sector. These steps are vital to ensure cruise growth does not come at the expense of public health and local environments.” Ariana Makinson, added.
Mandating onshore power infrastructure and fast-tracking grid connections at UK cruise ports is vital to reduce emissions by enabling ships to use clean, renewable electricity at berth. Bold policy action and targeted investment are essential to align economic growth with environmental and public health goals. By seizing this moment, the UK can position itself as a global leader in maritime sustainability, driving green industry, creating good jobs, and delivering on the Chancellor’s vision for a cleaner, more competitive economy in the year ahead.
