Don’t lose momentum: Nordic leadership on black carbon must continue

The Nordic countries have shown a real resolve to reduce black carbon emissions from shipping. This momentum is important, but more leadership will be needed in the IMO meeting next February. 

On October 30, the Nordic Council adopted a resolution on polar fuels, calling on the Nordic governments to adopt a regulation at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) on the use of cleaner fuels by vessels sailing in the Arctic waters of all Nordic countries. One of the driving motivations behind this decision is to reduce the level of black carbon emissions, a short-lived climate pollutant that accelerates the melting of ice and snow in a region that has already been badly impacted by climate change. 

Why is this resolution a big deal?

It indicates a political will among the Nordic nations to work together “to ensure that the IMO implement regulations that require increased use of polar fuels for ships sailing in the Arctic waters of the Nordic countries.” This regulation, if adopted by the IMO, will finally tackle one of the most long-standing issues in the international marine governance – the need to reduce black carbon emissions from shipping. The IMO has spent more than a decade on scientific analysis and discussions, but black carbon emissions continued unabated, showing a steady growth in their levels due to the significant increases in Arctic shipping traffic.   

There is no lack of evidence on the harmful impact of black carbon on human health and marine and coastal ecosystems. But the political will has still been weak and scattered. The milestone decision made by the Nordic Council this week in Stockholm is a clear signal that the will has finally consolidated.

NEXT IMO meeting: An opportunity to make a difference

Now Nordic countries, including Norway, the nation with the largest fleet in the geographic Arctic, must act without further delay. The next opportunity to build on the momentum of the Nordic Council’s resolution on polar fuels will come in February 2026, during the meeting of the IMO’s Sub-Committee on Pollution Prevention and Response (PPR 13). 

We encourage Nordic governments not to miss this opportunity and present a clear and urgent call for IMO member states to require vessels operating in and near the Arctic to switch to readily available and cleaner polar fuels — such as marine distillates DMA and DMZ or new fuels with comparable black carbon emissions levels — to rapidly cut emissions, protect vulnerable ecosystems and safeguard communities.