The UK’s Maritime Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) regulations ceased to be applicable from 3 April 2026, marking a significant shift in the UK’s approach to maritime emissions monitoring. This change affects all shipowners, operators, managers and masters currently complying with UK MRV requirements.
Key changes from April 2026
Ship operators will no longer be required to:
- Develop and maintain ship-specific UK MRV monitoring plans.
- Monitor, report and verify carbon dioxide emissions under the UK’s retained EU maritime MRV regime.
This decision follows a comprehensive review completed in June 2025, which concluded that the UK MRV regime had not achieved its intended policy benefits and risked creating duplicate obligations for operators, particularly with the maritime sector’s planned inclusion in the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (UK ETS) from July 2026.
Critical actions for operators
While the regulations are ending, immediate compliance obligations remain:
For Reporting Year 2025:
- All pending UK MRV Annual Emissions data for 2025 must still be verified according to MIN 669.
- Outstanding UK MRV Monitoring Plans affecting RY 2025 data verification must be assessed.
For Reporting Year 2026:
Data collection continued through to 2 April 2026, requiring:
- Ships newly in scope: Monitoring Plans must be developed and assessed by an accredited verifier.
- Ships already in scope: Any Monitoring Plan updates impacting RY 2026 must be assessed.
- All operators must submit a partial emissions report covering 1 January – 2 April 2026 for verification.
Transition to UK ETS
The end of UK MRV doesn’t mean the end of emissions monitoring. From 1 July 2026, the maritime sector joins the UK Emissions Trading Scheme, requiring operators to:
- Continue monitoring and reporting emissions data.
- Have emissions verified.
- Surrender necessary allowances as required.
Ship operators anticipating UK ETS scope should begin preparing monitoring plans now to ensure compliance with the new regulatory framework.
Looking ahead
This regulatory transition represents the UK’s effort to streamline maritime emissions monitoring while maintaining robust environmental standards. The shift from standalone MRV to integration within the broader UK ETS framework aims to reduce administrative burden while supporting the UK’s net-zero commitments.
Operators should use this transition period to review their current compliance processes, ensure all 2025 and partial 2026 obligations are met, and prepare for the new UK ETS requirements taking effect in July 2026.