In this new policy brief, UNEP FI and the European Banking Federation (EBF) discuss potential policy and financial institution levers and actions to help aid the sustainability transition for the EU aviation and shipping subsectors within the transportation sector by strengthening the investment case and attracting finance.

This brief is intended to support financial institutions in understanding how the EU aviation and shipping subsectors are evolving within the broader sustainability transition, including the key policies influencing this shift. It also aims to bring the voice of the financial industry into the discussion on sector-specific transformation, highlighting the enabling conditions financial institutions require to actively support the decarbonization and resilience of the aviation and shipping subsectors. The brief highlights practical policy levers and action pathways for banks, to help maximize opportunities and address remaining challenges in the aviation and shipping subsectors’ sustainable transition and financing.

This policy brief is the second in a series on EU sectoral policy, developed by UNEP Finance Initiative (UNEP FI) and the European Banking Federation (EBF) to strengthen the connection between financial institutions, policymakers, and the real economy. The series aims to bring the perspective of the financial sector into policy discussions to help make the transition of key sectors more bankable. In line with EU policy priorities, this brief addresses the transport sector with focus on aviation and shipping, while the first brief published in December 2025 focused on the chemical sector.