The Clean Arctic Alliance has welcomed the recent implementation of two new emission control areas (ECAs) in the Canadian Arctic and Norwegian Sea, which came into force on March 1, and said it anticipates the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) expected adoption of the North Atlantic ECA in May, which will include the waters of Greenland and Iceland.

However, the organization noted that while the new ECAs are now in force, regulations addressing the sulphur content of fuel oil allow a 12-month delay before shipping must comply with the new requirements. Ships passing through the new ECAs will not have to use fuels with a 0.1% sulphur content until March 2027.

Dr Sian Prior, Lead Advisor to the Clean Arctic Alliance, said: “The Clean Arctic Alliance urges the international shipping industry to immediately begin transitioning to cleaner low sulphur fuels when operating in the new ECAs.”

ECAs have been in place for some years in North American waters and the North Sea and Baltic Sea, where shipping already uses ultra-low-sulphur fuels to meet requirements that reduce the impact of sulphur oxide pollution on human health and ecosystems.

Prior said the international shipping industry already has extensive experience of switching from traditional residual fuels to cleaner ECA-compliant fuels when moving into ECA-designated waters, adding that the availability of suitable fuels should not prove a problem.

Black carbon concerns

While ECA designation reduces emissions of black carbon — a component of particulate matter — the IMO still needs to address the reduction of black carbon emissions, according to the alliance. ECAs still allow the use of ultra-low-sulphur fuels, marine diesel oils, and the installation of exhaust gas cleaning systems to remove sulphur oxides, in combination with heavy fuel oils. Moving away from these options to instead use marine gas oil or new alternative fuels in the Arctic will further reduce black carbon emissions, the organization said.

Prior commented: “Emissions of black carbon from shipping have a disproportionate impact in the Arctic, which is already warming four times faster than the rest of the planet, by contributing to the melt of sea and land ice, leading to global consequences. Black carbon emissions also increase the risk of respiratory and cardiovascular illnesses in local communities.”

She noted that this past winter saw the lowest Arctic sea ice extent in the 47-year satellite record. According to the alliance, melting of Arctic sea ice results in loss of ice habitat for wildlife and Indigenous communities in the Arctic, while the melting of land ice contributes to rising global sea levels.

Prior added: “In addition to ECAs, it is essential that the IMO regulate ship emissions of black carbon impacting the Arctic. Since black carbon pollution is transported in the atmosphere, a regulation must apply throughout the whole Arctic and not just those waters where sea or glacier ice can be expected.”

Call for IMO action

The alliance described black carbon as one of the longest unresolved issues at the IMO, saying it must be dealt with without delay. A strong agreement on polar fuels can set rules that will reduce black carbon emission levels from shipping in the Arctic region, according to Prior.

“We cannot wait another year before taking the next steps,” she stated.

The Clean Arctic Alliance is calling on IMO member states to submit a joint proposal to November’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 85), requesting that the IMO discuss and agree on the geographic scope of a measure that will curb black carbon emissions.

Prior said: “If they are to support action on black carbon, countries must know what waters it will apply to.”

The alliance added that the IMO’s Pollution Prevention and Response sub-committee (PPR 14, early 2027) should finalize the draft measure in light of the feedback and clarification of concerns at PPR 13, and recommend the measure to MEPC 86 in 2027 for approval and subsequent adoption.