WWF advocates for a cleaner Arctic at MEPC 82

London, 30 September, 2024 – Today, the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the UN body responsible for regulating international shipping, will hold a week-long meeting of its Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 82). The IMO members – national governments – will address a number of proposed measures aimed at protecting marine environments, including in the Arctic region, from the negative impacts of shipping.

Reducing black carbon emissions and protecting Arctic marine life

The IMO meeting takes place amid rapid climate change in the Arctic, marked by rising sea surface temperatures and diminishing sea ice, which are opening new marine areas to shipping. In this rapidly evolving environment, Arctic marine ecosystems and species are especially vulnerable to increasing air and water pollution from ships, as well as greenhouse gas emissions, including short-lived climate forcers like black carbon.

Black carbon, produced from the incomplete combustion of dirty shipping fuels such as heavy fuel oil, not only contributes to atmospheric warming but also accelerates ice and snow melt when deposited on these surfaces, accelerating the diminishing of ice and snow habitats. It also poses a threat to human health. Despite long standing recognition of the need to reduce black carbon emissions, the shipping industry continues to lag behind land-based transportation in addressing this issue.

Last spring, WWF celebrated a significant victory when the governments of Canada and Norway approved two new Arctic Emission Control Areas (ECAs). ECAs are designated zones where stricter controls are enforced on ship emissions, with the aim of reducing pollutants like sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter, including black carbon. These new ECAs have the potential to significantly cut black carbon emissions in and around the Arctic.

However, there are still no mandatory measures specifically targeting black carbon emissions. One way to address this is by mandating the use of cleaner fuels. At this meeting, WWF will advocate for the use of distillate marine fuels for ships operating in the Arctic to help reduce black carbon emissions.

Banning scrubber discharges and promoting cleaner fuels

Another major source of pollution from Arctic shipping is the continued use of scrubbers—exhaust gas cleaning systems that remove air pollutants generated from burning heavy fuel oil (HFO) and discharge them into the water. Scrubbers allow ships to keep using HFO, the world’s most polluting marine fuel, creating a loophole that leads to unprecedented marine pollution, unnecessary air pollution, and the constant threat of HFO spills.

At MEPC 82, WWF is calling on governments to ban scrubber discharges in their jurisdictional waters and recommends that the Committee adopt a resolution to prohibit scrubber wastewater discharges in coastal and marine protected areas, critical habitats, and IMO-designated Particularly Sensitive Sea Areas.

Tackling greenhouse gas emissions in the shipping industry

And, of course, the primary challenge remains greenhouse gas emissions, a pressing issue for the shipping sector and a dominant focus of the IMO since it adopted its revised GHG Strategy last year. This strategy has finally aligned the maritime industry with the Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting global temperature rise to below 1.5°C.

Key topics at this meeting include the Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII) for ships, the adoption of a Global Fuel Standard to promote the use of zero-emission fuels, and the approval of a carbon levy to finance a just and equitable transition. WWF supports all these measures, with a particular emphasis on strengthening the CII, which will enhance ship efficiency and reduce fuel consumption.

Pushing for stronger measures on underwater noise pollution

Perhaps one of the easiest ways to reduce a vessel’s carbon intensity—and thus its carbon emissions—is to lower its speed. This measure in particular offers dual benefits for both climate and biodiversity: slower speeds reduce fuel consumption and also decrease underwater noise pollution from ships. When considering marine animals, such as great whales, reducing vessel speed offers a triple win by significantly lowering the risk of fatal ship strikes.

With the number of ships in Arctic waters doubling in the past decade, the natural underwater soundtrack of the Arctic Ocean is becoming polluted by underwater noise from shipping. We know from the world’s oceans that underwater noise has a profound effect on marine life, including whales, fish and even mussels, thereby impacting entire ecosystems.

WWF’s goal is to ensure that underwater noise is managed at safe levels for Arctic marine species and ecosystems. We believe that less noise means more life in our oceans. To achieve this, we are advocating for mandatory measures to manage and reduce underwater radiated noise from shipping.

Last year, the IMO approved the Revised Guidelines for the Reduction of Underwater Radiated Noise from Shipping to Address Adverse Impacts on Marine Life and initiated a three-year “experience-building phase” for their implementation. While the revisions are a step forward, they remain voluntary. Whether shipping companies will follow them or continue to ignore them remains to be seen.

At MEPC 82, WWF will continue to lay the groundwork for future mandatory measures on reducing underwater noise pollution from ships. This includes providing information on important areas for marine life to support industry’s early adoption of the revised guidelines, as well as elevating biodiversity protection in IMO’s future agenda.

For further information:
Andrea Norgren | Sr. Manager Communications, WWF Global Arctic Programme | andrea.norgren@wwf.se