THE UK shipping industry has hit back at claims it is failing in the global battle against climate change.

It comes after a report by a powerful group of MPs said carbon emissions from UK shipping may not have gone down at all since 1990.

The House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee also said the Government had “underestimated” the current calculation of the UK’s share of international shipping emissions.

Committee chairman Tim Yeo said: “We deplore the prevarication that has prevented global agreement on how to reduce emissions from international shipping.

“The shipping industry accepts the seriousness of climate change but has taken little or no action to cut its own emissions in absolute terms. Meanwhile the Government has failed to give this issue attention it deserves.”

The report called on the Government to examine imposing a system of UK port dues that vary according to the environmental performance of different ships and accelerate research into low and zero-carbon propulsion systems.

The Chamber of Shipping went on the attack yesterday after Mr Yeo, in an interview, accused the industry of ignoring its impact on global warming.

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Chamber spokesman Jeremy Harrison said: “This is unfounded. In fact, it (the UK) has led the way in industry debates with proposals for a cap-and-trade mechanism to encourage emission reductions.

“We are also very surprised that the select committee feels that little or no action has been taken by the UK Government with regard to the reduction of GHG emission from international shipping.”

Mr Harrison said the issues surrounding shipping emissions were “so enormous” that the industry could not reasonably be expected to provide the answers on its own.

He also said it was “extremely difficult” to give an accurate estimate of the UK’s share of international shipping emissions.

“The UK industry entirely shares the sense of urgency and accepts that it must take responsibility to reduce emissions as far as possible and will work actively on that,” he said.

“Much work has been done to improve the carbon efficiency of this, already the most carbon-friendly form of transport, and the industry is actively considering mechanisms to achieve global reductions.

“However, it is important to recall that shipping serves world trade – which is growing – and the demand for shipping is directly derived from the world’s demand for commodities to be carried.”