By Isle of Wight Observer
The Minister for Industry visited the Isle of Wight last week (Thursday, June 11) to hear first‑hand how the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) could affect cross‑Solent travel. Chris McDonald, who works across both the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) and the Department for Business and Trade, joined a round-table meeting hosted by Wight West MP, Richard Quigley.
The meeting brought together interested parties from across the Island, including the CEOs of both ferry operators, the Leader of the Isle of Wight Council, the Isle of Wight Chamber of Commerce, Visit Isle of Wight, representatives from the UK Chamber of Shipping, and officials from DESNZ and the Department for Transport.
The ferry companies outlined the pressures they believe the ETS would place on operating costs, warning that the policy would inevitably feed through into higher ticket prices for passengers. The session gave the Minister the opportunity to hear about the Island’s unique reliance on its ferry links, and the absence of viable low‑carbon alternatives until at least the mid‑2030s.
Although the ETS was introduced under the previous government, Mr Quigley has argued that applying it to cross‑Solent services is unworkable without the necessary grid capacity or alternative fuels. He said Island residents were already paying too much and should not face further increases.
Mr Quigley has welcomed the first meeting of the new Cross‑Solent Transport Group, which will focus on long‑standing issues of cost and reliability. He said: “I will keep working with whoever I need to, in order to bring our ferry fares down.”
Mal Butler