IMO approves Arctic Emission Control Areas

The International Maritime Organisation's Marine Environment Protection Committee has approved two new Emission Control Areas (ECAs) in the Arctic.

PHOTO: A big cargo ship in an ice sea fairway. Getty Images

One ECA will be located in Canadian Arctic waters and target nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulphur oxides (SOx) and particulate matter emissions. The other will be in the Norwegian Sea and focus on NOx and SOx. These ECA proposals are now set to be presented to MEPC 82 for final adoption.

The Clean Arctic Alliance is confident that these ECAs will be adopted, telling ENGINE that even potential objections such as those from Russia should not hold these ECAs back from being adopted at MEPC 82.

“The creation of these two new Emission Control Areas will set an important precedent for protection of our climate and our ocean, and particularly the Arctic,” lead advisor to the Clean Arctic Alliance Dr Sian Prior said.

“We hope that the designation of ECAs in Canadian Arctic waters and the Norwegian Sea will drive broad positive change in reducing shipping climate pollutants, especially if the shipping sector complies with the designation by switching to low-sulphur distillate fuels or other cleaner non-fossil fuels."

While MEPC 81 addressed the creation of ECAs, discussions regarding other air pollution measures, including controlling black carbon emissions affecting the Arctic, were postponed to MEPC 82.

By Debarati Bhattacharjee

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