Installations · aviation · maritime
UK ETS software: the monitoring plan, run every day
UK ETS compliance management software runs an operator’s monitoring, reporting and verification cycle under the UK Emissions Trading Scheme.
It is the most regulated software job on this site, because the method is fixed by an approved monitoring plan and the report is verified.
The scheme is explained on the UK ETS guide and the UK ETS reporting requirements.
The annual cycle
Which UK ETS deadlines should the software track?
The cycle is the same every year for installations and aircraft operators.
| Date | What is due | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 28 February | Free allowances issued, where an installation has them | DESNZ |
| 31 March | Verified annual emissions report; activity level report and its verification | DESNZ |
| 30 April | Surrender allowances covering the previous year’s emissions | DESNZ |
The excess emissions penalty is £100 multiplied by an inflation factor for each allowance not surrendered, and GOV.UK says it applies even if the allowances are surrendered late (SI 2020/1265 art 52).
Verification
Does UK ETS software need an accredited verifier?
Yes: a verifier issuing a UK ETS verification report must be accredited under the retained Verification Regulation (Regulation 2018/2067).
That is a separate regime from ISO 14064 verification, which is voluntary.
The software’s job is to make the verifier’s sampling easy: every reported tonne traced to the monitoring plan method and its source data.
Maritime and aviation
What changes for shipping and airlines?
From 1 July 2026 the UK ETS covers ships of 5,000 gross tonnage and above, for three gases: CO2, methane and nitrous oxide (SI 2026/392).
A maritime operator must apply for an emissions monitoring plan within 42 days of first maritime activity.
Free allocation for aviation ended after 2025, so aircraft operators now buy every allowance they surrender.
Who needs it
Who needs UK ETS compliance management software?
Operators of installations that hold a greenhouse gas emissions permit, aircraft operators on covered routes, and now ship operators.
The scheme covers about a quarter of UK territorial emissions, so most companies are not in it; for corporate reporting see GHG reporting software.
The demonstration
What should you test before buying?
Ask the vendor to run one source stream from your monitoring plan through a full year.
Software demo · evidence check
UK ETS demo coverage
Tick a test only when the vendor has demonstrated it with a representative record and shown the evidence or export.
0 of 5 tests demonstrated (0%). This is a checklist result, not a score for the vendor.
Still to test: Apply the approved monitoring plan method and tier to a source stream; Produce the annual emissions report in the regulator’s format; Give the verifier a sample trail from tonne to source record; Track allowances held against the 30 April surrender; Flag a change in activity that could trigger a free allocation recalculation.
Frequently asked
UK ETS software, answered
What is UK ETS software?
Software that runs an operator’s monitoring plan: it collects fuel, material and activity data, calculates emissions under the approved method, prepares the annual report for verification and tracks allowances against the surrender obligation.
What are the UK ETS deadlines?
For installations and aircraft operators, a verified annual emissions report by 31 March and allowances surrendered by 30 April each year.
Does UK ETS software replace the verifier?
No. The annual emissions report must be verified by an accredited verifier under the retained Verification Regulation.
Does the UK ETS cover shipping?
Yes, from 1 July 2026 for ships of 5,000 gross tonnage and above, covering CO2, methane and nitrous oxide.
Sources
Primary sources
Every figure, date and status on this page traces to the instrument’s owner.
Secondary commentary is never the source for a number.
- DESNZParticipating in the UK ETS
- LegislationGreenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Scheme Order 2020 (SI 2020/1265)
- LegislationSI 2020/1265 article 52 (excess emissions penalty)
- LegislationSI 2026/392, extension to maritime
- LegislationSI 2026/214 (auction reserve price)
- LegislationRetained Verification Regulation 2018/2067
- Environment AgencyUK ETS for installations: how to comply
- DESNZUK ETS free allocation review
- UKASValidation and verification accreditation
- LegislationSI 2021/534 (CORSIA)