Emissions Reduction Claims by Maritime Operators (Scotland) Direction 2026
A Direction given by the Scottish Ministers under section 52 of the Climate Change Act 2008 to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency.
The Emissions Reduction Claims by Maritime Operators (Scotland) Direction 2026
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Made: 30th March 2026
Coming into force: 1st July 2026
The Scottish Ministers, in exercise of the power conferred by section 52(1) of the Climate Change Act 2008([a]), and all other powers enabling them to do so, give the following direction to the Scottish Environment Protection Agency([b]).
Citation, commencement and extent
1.(1) This Direction may be cited as the Emissions Reduction Claims by Maritime Operators (Scotland) Direction 2026 and comes into force on 1 July 2026.
(2) This Direction extends to Scotland only.
Interpretation
2. In this Direction—
“biomass” means the biodegradable fraction of products, waste and residues from biological origin from agriculture, including vegetal and animal substances, from forestry and related industries, including fisheries and aquaculture, as well as the biodegradable fraction of waste, including industrial and municipal waste of biological origin,
“the Directive” means Directive (EU) 2018/2001 on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable heat sources,
“recycled carbon fuel” means liquid and gaseous fuels that are produced from liquid or solid waste streams of non-renewable origin which are not suitable for material recovery in accordance with Article 4 of Directive 2008/98/EC on waste (as at 1 April 2026), or from waste processing gas and exhaust gas of non-renewable origin which are produced as an unavoidable and unintentional consequence of the production process in industrial installations,
“renewable fuels of non-biological origin” means liquid and gaseous fuels the energy content of which is derived from renewable sources other than biomass,
“renewable sources” means renewable non-fossil fuel sources, namely wind, solar (solar thermal and solar photovoltaic) and geothermal energy, osmotic energy, ambient energy, tide, wave and other ocean energy, hydropower, biomass, landfill gas, sewage treatment plant gas, and biogas.
Eligible fuels
3. (1) Subject to paragraphs (2) to (4), the Scottish Ministers direct that a fuel certified under one or more of the Schemes listed in column 1 of the table in the schedule is an eligible fuel for the purposes of paragraph 37(1)(a) of schedule 2A of the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Scheme Order 2020 (emissions reduction claims)([c]).
(2) Where a fuel is specified in column 3 of the table in the schedule, only that fuel is to be treated as having been certified by the corresponding scheme in column 1 of the table.
(3) Where the feedstock specified in column 2 of the table in the schedule for a fuel is biomass, the corresponding fuel is an eligible fuel if it meets or exceeds the sustainability and greenhouse gas emissions saving criteria specified in Article 29(2) to (7) and (10) of the Directive as at 1 April 2026.
(4) Where the fuel is a renewable fuel of non-biological origin or recycled carbon fuel, that fuel is an eligible fuel if it meets or exceeds the greenhouse gas emissions saving criteria in accordance with Article 29a of the Directive as at 1 April 2026.
Gillian Martin
A member of the Scottish Government
St Andrew’s House,
Edinburgh
30th March 2026
SCHEDULE Article 3
Eligible Fuels
|
Column 1 Scheme |
Column 2 Feedstock |
Column 3 Fuel |
Column 4 Geographic Coverage |
Column 5 Chain of Custody Coverage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austrian Agricultural Certification Scheme | Agricultural feedstocks and vegetable oils (including residues) | Biofuels and gaseous fuels | Global | Farm and initial processing (e.g. oil seed crushing) only |
| Better Biomass | Agricultural biomass (including wastes and residues) | Global | Full chain (biomethane up to production point) | |
| Biomass Biofuels voluntary scheme | Agricultural biomass (including wastes and residues) | Global | Full chain (biomethane up to production point) | |
| Bonsucro EU | Sugar cane and residues | First-generation bioethanol and advanced bioethanol, and biomass fuels | Global | Full chain |
| CertifHy | Renewable Fuels of non-biological origin | Renewable fuels of nonbiological origin | Global | Full chain |
| International Sustainability and Carbon Certification | Agricultural biomass, forest biomass, wastes and residues | Global | Full chain (for biomethane from the production unit up to the point of consumption) | |
| KZR INiG | Agricultural biomass, forest biomass, wastes and residues | Global (primarily Poland) | Full chain (biomethane up to production unit) | |
| Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification |
Forest biomass, wastes and residues |
Biomass fuels only (excluding biofuels and biogas, renewable fuels of non-biological origin and recycled carbon fuels) | Global | Full chain |
| REDcert | Agricultural biomass (excluding high indirect land-use change-risk feedstock), wastes and residues | Global (selected countries) | Full chain (for biomethane from the production unit up to the point of consumption) | |
| Red Tractor Farm Assurance Combinable Crops and Sugar Beet Scheme | Agricultural biomass from combinable crops and sugar beet. Wastes, residues, forest biomass and Certification of Greenhouse gas emissions savings are excluded | Biofuels derived from combinable crops and sugar beet | UK (mainly England and Wales) | Farm to first intake point |
| Round Table on Responsible Soy EU RED | Soy | Biofuels | Global | Full chain |
| Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials | Agricultural biomass, wastes and residues (excluding forest biomass) | Global | Full chain (for biomethane up to the production unit) | |
| Scottish Quality Farm Assured Combinable Crops | Agricultural biomass from combinable crops. Wastes, residues, forest biomass and Certification of Greenhouse gas emissions savings are excluded | Biofuels derived from combinable crops | United Kingdom (primarily in Scotland but also in the North of Great Britain) | Farm to first intake point |
| Sustainable Biomass Program | Lignocellulosic material from forest and non-forest land, processing residues from forest and agricultural industries, and woody agricultural residues | Biomass fuels (pellets and wood chips) produced from forest and non-forest ligno-cellulosic material and forest and agriculture related industry processing residues for heat and electricity production | Global | Full chain |
| Sustainable Resources (SURE) voluntary scheme | Agricultural and forest biomass (including wastes and residues) | Biomass fuels | Global | Full chain (for biomethane from the production unit up to point of consumption) |
| Trade Assurance Scheme for Combinable Crops | Agricultural biomass from combinable crops and sugar beet. Wastes, residues and forest biomass and Certification of Greenhouse gas emissions savings are excluded | Biofuels derived from combinable crops and sugar beet | UK | The trading, transport and storage stages from farm gate to first processor with specific modules covering merchanting, haulage, storage and testing |
| Universal Feed Assurance Scheme | Agricultural biomass from combinable crops and sugar beet. Wastes, residues and forest biomass and Certification of Greenhouse gas emissions savings are excluded | Biofuels derived from combinable crops and sugar beet | UK and Ireland | The trading, transport and storage stages from farm gate to first processor with specific modules covering merchanting and compound feed manufacturers |
| U.S. Soy Sustainability Assurance Protocol – Renewable Energy Directive | Soybean for the production of biodiesel. Wastes and residues excluded | Biofuels from soy beans | Soybeans originating from the United States (U.S.) only | From farm to export of soybeans.(excludes soybean crushing, shipping and biodiesel production and distribution) |
Contact
Email: lauchlan.hall@gov.scot