NGOs this morning called on the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to protect the Arctic marine environment from the impacts of international shipping, by agreeing to a new regulation banning the use and carriage of heavy fuel oil (HFO) as fuel by ships operating in Arctic waters during this week’s “Arctic IMO Summit” in London.
Canada will support a ban on the use of heavy fuel oil by ships plying Arctic waters at the upcoming meeting of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in London, Transport Canada officials announced during a teleconference call Wednesday, according to people who participated in the call.
The use of heavy fuel oil by ships crossing the Arctic creates the risk of a catastrophic spill – which would be practically impossible to clean up. Worse still, when heavy fuel oil (HFO ) is burned in ship’s engines, the black carbon emitted falls onto Arctic snow or ice.
Our civilization has developed during a period of incredibly stable climate over the past 10000 years. The predicted changes for the next few hundred years are in steep contrast. The Arctic is the most important early warning system for climate change on our planet. Rapid loss of Arctic sea ice is a clear indicator of changing climate.
Infographic detailing the environmental and social impacts of a HFO spill; the economic impacts of a ban on HFO in the Arctic.
The Clean Arctic Alliance has published an open letter to industry requesting that not only should individual organisations and companies take responsibility for ensuring that their fuels to not lead to further pollution, but that they should actively work to limit the climate impact from global shipping.
Beyond Fossil Fuels: The Case for the Arctic Transport & Environment, October 2017 Beyond Fossil Fuels: The Case for […]
The use of these types of fuels “will lead to a massive increase in black carbon emissions” that will “both accelerate the melting of Arctic sea ice and have a major impact on Earth’s climate,” argued the alliance’s lead advisor Sian Prior.
Please join the Clean Arctic Alliance and Bellona Foundation for an event welcoming new signatories to the Arctic Commitment, and to hear from operators, government and NGOs on what their policy, commitment and solutions are for a more sustainable Arctic.
Responding to the discovery that some of the new blended low sulphur shipping fuels developed and marketed by oil companies to comply with IMO 2020 air pollution standards will actually lead to a surge in the emissions of a Super Pollutant known as Black Carbon, the Clean Arctic Alliance is calling for the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to support an immediate switch to distillate fuels for ships in the Arctic and develop a global rule prohibiting fuels with high Black Carbon emissions