Retrofitting of inland water passenger and freight transport
Retrofit and upgrade of vessels for transport of freight or passengers on inland waters, involving vessels that are not suitable for sea transport.
The economic activities in this category could be associated several NACE codes, in particular H50.4, H50.30 and C33.15 in accordance with the statistical classification of economic activities established by Regulation (EC) No 1893/2006.
Substantial contribution
This activity can make a substantial contribution to the following objective(s). The activity must also pass DNSH assessment against the remaining five objectives.
✓ Climate adaptation
1. The economic activity has implemented physical and non-physical solutions (‘adaptation solutions’) that substantially reduce the most important physical climate risks that are material to that activity.2. The physical climate risks that are material to the activity have been identified from those listed in Appendix A of the applicable Delegated Act by performing a robust climate risk and vulnerability assessment with the following steps:screening of the activity to identify which physical climate risks from the list in Appendix A of the applicable Delegated Act may affect the performance of the economic activity during its expected lifetime;where the activity is assessed to be at risk from one or more of the physical climate risks listed in Appendix A of the applicable Delegated Act, a climate risk and vulnerability assessment to assess the materiality of the physical climate risks on the economic activity;an assessment of adaptation solutions that can reduce the identified physical climate risk.The climate risk and vulnerability assessment is proportionate to the scale of the activity and its expected lifespan, such that: for activities with an expected lifespan of less than 10 years, the assessment is performed, at least by using climate projections at the smallest appropriate scale;for all other activities, the assessment is performed using the highest available resolution, state-of-the-art climate projections across the existing range of future scenarios(546) consistent with the expected lifetime of the activity, including, at least, 10 to 30 year climate projections scenarios for major investments. 3. The climate projections and assessment of impacts are based on best practice and available guidance and take into account the state-of-the-art science for vulnerability and risk analysis and related methodologies in line with the most recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reports(547), scientific peer-reviewed publications and open source(548) or paying models.4. The adaptation solutions implemented:do not adversely affect the adaptation efforts or the level of resilience to physical climate risks of other people, of nature, of cultural heritage, of assets and of other economic activities;favour nature-based solutions(549) or rely on blue or green infrastructure(550) to the extent possible;are consistent with local, sectoral, regional or national adaptation plans and strategies;are monitored and measured against pre-defined indicators and remedial action is considered where those indicators are not met;where the solution implemented is physical and consists in an activity for which technical screening criteria have been specified in this Annex, the solution complies with the do no significant harm technical screening criteria for that activity.
✓ Climate mitigation
1. The retrofitting activity achieves one or more of the following: reduces fuel consumption of the inland passenger vessel by at least 15 % expressed per unit of energy per complete journey (full passenger cruise), as demonstrated by a comparative calculation for the representative navigation areas (including representative load profiles and docking) in which the vessel is to operate or by means of the results of model tests or simulations; reduces fuel consumption of the inland freight vessel by at least 15 % expressed per unit of energy per tonne kilometre, as demonstrated by a comparative calculation for the representative navigation areas (including representative load profiles) in which the vessel is to operate or by means of the results of model tests or simulations.2. Vessels retrofitted or upgraded are not dedicated to transport of fossil fuels.
Do No Significant Harm criteria
To be taxonomy-aligned, this activity must not significantly harm any of the five objectives it does not substantially contribute to.
Water and marine resources
The activity complies with the criteria set out in Appendix B of the applicable Delegated Act.
Circular economy
Measures are in place to manage waste, both in the use phase and the end-of-life of the vessel, in accordance with the waste hierarchy, including the control and management of hazardous materials on board of ships and ensuring their safe recycling.
Pollution prevention and control
Vessels comply with the emission limits of Annex II to Regulation (EU) 2016/1628 (including vessels meeting those limits without type-approved solutions such as through after-treatment).
Biodiversity and ecosystems
N/A
Criteria sourced from the EU Taxonomy Navigator. Applicable act: Climate Delegated Act (OJ L 442, 9.12.2021). Last verified: 19 July 2026.
Related reading: EU Taxonomy explained · Evidence sustainability auditors look for
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