Image: Flickr

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The Clean Arctic Alliance is hosting a side event, sponsored by the Clean Shipping Coalition, at the 72nd session of the International Maritime Organization's (IMO) Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) on Tuesday April 10, at 17:45 hrs.

Entitled 'The Climate Crisis: A message from the Arctic', the aim of the event, according to Clean Arctic Alliance, is to increase awareness among IMO delegates about the local and global consequences of the current changes taking place in the Arctic, and "to demonstrate the necessity for IMO to agree an ambitious strategy to reduce greenhouse gases from shipping globally and a regional ban on HFO in the Arctic".

The event will consist of a panel presentation involving four short 5-7 minute presentations, followed by a reception.

IMO registration is required to attend side events.

Speakers include:

- Science: Dirk Notz, Max Planck Institute for Meteorology

- Indigenous voice: Sheila Watt-Cloutier, Canada, Environmental, Cultural and Human Rights Advocate

- Non-governmental: Faig Abbasov, Transport & Environment and Clean Shipping Coalition

- Shipping industry: Jorn Henriksen, Hurtigruten

The event will be moderated by Jytte Guteland, Member of the European Parliament.

Arctic indigenous attendees at MEPC72

Arctic indigenous representatives are in London to demand the creation of a consistent indigenous representation to the IMO, and also to explain why shipping issues related to climate change and environmental protection are important to Arctic communities.

They will be attending IMO meetings as part of NGO delegations, take part in side events, and also plan to meet with the IMO Secretary General.

Other Arctic indigenous representatives, in addition to the previously mentioned Sheila Watt-Cloutier, are:

- Verner Wilson, Alaska, Friends of the Earth, formerly with the Bristol Bay Native Association

- Austin Ahmasuk, Alaska, Kawerak, Inc. (Bering Straits regional non-profit)

- Eduard Zdor, Russian Federation, former director of the Chukotka Marine Mammal Hunters Association

On Monday, April 9, Verner Wilson, Austin Ahmusak and Eduard Zdor spoke at an IMO side event entitled 'Arctic indigenous voices: Climate change, new shipping routes and solutions for mitigation and adaptation'.