Climate Delegated Act Transport NACE H50.10NACE H50.2NACE H52.22NACE C33.15NACE N77.21

Retrofitting of sea and coastal freight and passenger water transport

Retrofit and upgrade of vessels designed and equipped for the transport of freight or passengers on sea or coastal waters, and of vessels required for port operations and auxiliary activities, such as tugboats, mooring vessels, pilot vessels, salvage vessels and ice-breakers.

The economic activities in this category could be associated with NACE codes H50.10, H50.2, H52.22, C33.15, N77.21 and N.77.34 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 mitigation

1. The activity complies with one or more of the following criteria: the retrofitting activity reduces fuel consumption of the vessel by at least 15 % expressed in grams of fuel per deadweight tons per nautical mile for freight vessels, or per gross tonnage per nautical mile for passenger vessels, as demonstrated by computational fluid dynamics (CFD), tank tests or similar engineering calculations; enables the vessels to attain Energy Efficiency Existing Ships Index (EEXI) value at least 10 % below the EEXI requirements applicable on 1 January 2023 and if the vessels are able to run on zero direct (tailpipe) emission fuels or on fuels from renewable sources(317), and have the ability to plug-in at berth and are equipped with plug-in power technology.2. Vessels are not dedicated to the transport of fossil fuels.

✓ 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(571) 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(572), scientific peer-reviewed publications and open source(573) 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(574) or rely on blue or green infrastructure(575) 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.

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 in the end-of-life of the vessel, in accordance with the waste hierarchy.For battery-operated vessels, those measures include reuse and recycling of batteries and electronics, including critical raw materials therein.For existing ships above 500 gross tonnage and the new-built ones replacing them, the activity complies with the requirements of Regulation (EU) No 1257/2013 relating to the inventory of hazardous materials. The scrap ships are recycled in facilities included on the European List of ship recycling facilities as laid down in Commission Decision 2016/2323.The activity complies with Directive (EU) 2019/883 as regards the protection of the marine environment against the negative effects from discharges of waste from ships.The ship is operated in accordance with Annex V to the IMO MARPOL Convention, in particular with a view to producing reduced quantities of waste and to reducing legal discharges, by managing its waste in a sustainable and environmentally sound manner.

Key thresholds

MetricThresholdUnit
gross tonnage>500gross tonnage

Documentation typically required

  • Inventory of hazardous materials — Required for ships above 500 gross tonnage and new-built replacements, per Regulation (EU) No 1257/2013

Pollution prevention and control

As regards the reduction of sulphur oxides emissions and particulate matters, vessels comply with Directive (EU) 2016/802 and with Regulation 14 of Annex VI to the IMO MARPOL Convention. Sulphur in fuel content does not exceed 0,5 % in mass (the global sulphur limit) and 0,1 % in mass in emission control area (ECA) designated in the North and Baltic Seas by the IMO(576). As regards nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions, vessels comply with Regulation 13 of Annex VI to the IMO MARPOL Convention. Tier II NOx requirement applies to ships constructed after 2011. Only while operating in NOx emission control areas established under IMO rules, ships constructed after 1 January 2016 comply with stricter engine requirements (Tier III) reducing NOx emissions(577).Discharges of black and grey water comply with Annex IV to the IMO MARPOL Convention.Measures are in place to minimise toxicity of anti-fouling paint and biocides as laid down in Regulation (EU) No 528/2012, which implements in Union law the International Convention on the Control of Harmful Anti-fouling Systems on Ships adopted on 5 October 2001.

Key thresholds

MetricThresholdUnit
Sulphur in fuel content (global limit)0.5% mass
Sulphur in fuel content in ECA0.1% mass

Biodiversity and ecosystems

Releases of ballast water containing non-indigenous species are prevented in line with the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships' Ballast Water and Sediments (BWM).Measures are in place to prevent the introduction of non-indigenous species by biofouling of hull and niche areas of ships taking into account the IMO Biofouling Guidelines(578).Noise and vibrations are limited by using noise reducing propellers, hull design or on-board machinery in line with the guidance given in the IMO Guidelines for the Reduction of Underwater Noise(579).In the Union, the activity does not hamper the achievement of good environmental status, as set out in Directive 2008/56/EC, requiring that the appropriate measures are taken to prevent or mitigate impacts in relation to that Directive’s Descriptors 1 (biodiversity), 2 (non-indigenous species), 6 (seabed integrity), 8 (contaminants), 10 (marine litter), 11 (Noise/Energy) and as set out in Commission Decision (EU) 2017/848 in relation to the relevant criteria and methodological standards for those descriptors, as applicable.

Criteria sourced from the EU Taxonomy Navigator. Applicable act: Climate Delegated Act (OJ L 442, 9.12.2021). Last verified: 19 July 2026.

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