WWF-Canada is advocating nationally and internationally for the phase out of both the use and carriage for use of heavy fuel oil in the Arctic, without driving up costs for northern and remote communities.
Five briefing papers prepared by Bryan Comer PhD, The International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT)
The use of heavy fuel oil (HFO) as a marine fuel poses serious environmental and economic risks, especially in ecologically sensitive areas like the Arctic. Using HFO is risky not only because of potential fuel oil spills, but also because burning it produces harmful air and climate pollutants, including black carbon (BC). As ship traffic increases in the Arctic, the risk to the Arctic environment and its peoples will also increase.
These briefings look at HFO use by flag state, ship type, ship owner, cruise ships, fishing vessels in the IMO Polar Code Arctic, 2015.
To address the impact of ship Black Carbon (BC) emissions on the Arctic, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has been tasked with developing a definition for black carbon, deciding on best methodology for measuring black carbon, and identifying abatement options. A considerable number of black carbon abatement options exist with varying reduction potential of BC emissions. Some are readily available, some in development, some expensive, some cheaper. This infographic goes through some of the most effective abatement options and depicts their advantages and drawbacks based on the most up to date scientific literature.
An ICCT report by Bryan Comer, Naya Olmer, Xiaoli Mao, Biswajoy Roy, and Dan Rutherford
Ships are an efficient way to move cargo, transporting approximately 80% of the world’s goods by volume, but ships also threaten human health, ecosystems, and the climate. This report focuses on the air and climate pollutant black carbon (BC). This report presents a bottom-up, activity-based global inventory of BC emissions, residual fuel use, and residual fuel carriage from commercial ships in the global fleet for the year 2015. In addition, the report analyzes the BC reduction potential of four technology scenarios: switching all ships from residual to distillate fuels; switching some ships from residual or distillate fuel to LNG; installing exhaust gas cleaning systems on ships; and installing diesel particulate filters (DPFs).
This document summarizes the key findings of a new International Council on Clean Transportation report titled Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Global Shipping, 2013-2015, as they relate to Black Carbon emissions
This document, submitted to the IMO (PPR 5/INF.7 29, November 2017)provides an update of a report submitted to BLG 17 on investigating appropriate control measures (abatement technologies) to reduce Black Carbon emissions from international shipping
A WWF report by Alexander Klimentyev, Alexey Knizhnikov, Alexey
The Arctic region of Russia is considered to be one of the key economic areas and can open up a crucial transit route, connecting Europe and Asia.
A unique feature of this route is that there is a possibility to set up LNG bunkering facilities along almost the entire length of it, using natural gas from on- and offshore deposits.
This report presents data, facts and arguments for wide LNG implementation in Russian Arctic.
Oil spills from ships in the Arctic are nearly impossible to respond to and clean up. Find out why in this infographic, and what the gaps are in the plans and standards currently in place to regulate oil spill response in Nunavut and Beaufort Sea, Canada.
As new shipping routes open in the Arctic and traffic increases, Black Carbon (BC) emissions from combustion of heavy fuel oil (HFO) further exacerbate the melting of ice and increases the cause of health risks, shipping incidents, and their associated economic cost. There are cleaner solutions available.
Increased shipping activities and changeable shipping conditions provide the backdrop of this comprehensive and visual representation of the many threats facing the Arctic environment, from heavy fuel oil spill, with catastrophic long-lasting consequences on this remote and vulnerable ecosystem, local indigenous populations’ health and food security to illegal waste sludge dumping. Increased Black Carbon and other air pollutants emissions only accelerate climate change and add to the problem of ice melt.