There are fears that Ireland could emerge as a back door for shipping companies to operate while avoiding new UK restrictions imposed on emissions.
As the British government temporarily limits decarbonisation restrictions across shipping journeys throughout the northern area of the Irish Sea.
The Parliament at Westminster this week confirmed the inclusion of the shipping and maritime sector under its domestic emissions trading scheme (ETS). Such a development is to see a carve-out for passages made between Britain and Northern Ireland.
The UK belatedly follows the EU at Brussels by including the shipping sector under its domestic cap and trade regime with the current proposal. This is set to see the operators of not just ferries but also larger vessels, such as cruise ships and tankers, paying more for greenhouse gas emissions.
Arising from this, however, have emerged concerns over the "disparity" throughout the Irish Sea, due to the differing approaches taken by UK and EU rules on both sides of the border.
More reports from the Business Post on the ETS.
