Making “green” Arctic shipping corridors greener

Much has been made recently about the potential for green shipping corridors to help decarbonize the maritime sector, including its ships, ports and energy supply chains. But as ANDREW DUMBRILLE and SIAN PRIOR write, more work is needed because the concept of green corridors does not yet include solutions to the triple planetary crisis involving climate, biodiversity and pollution.

Green corridors are trade routes that have the potential for zero-emission shipping because the vessels plying them use low- or no-emission fuels and technologies. They are usually established through collaborations between governments, ports, shipping companies and other stakeholders.

For example, consider green methanol fuel bunkered by ships on dedicated routes between Alaska and Vancouver. Such ships would have an end-to-end supply of an alternative fuel capable of substantially reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

There are, of course, significant questions about scalability, availability, cost, life cycle and community impacts in scenarios like this. Shipping isn’t always a straightforward A to B trade—there can be geopolitical and regulatory challenges. Nevertheless, such scenarios show promise and could prove beneficial to the planet.

Beyond the potential climate gains from sustainable, zero-emission fuels, there is a need to ask: When we consider green corridors, shouldn’t we also think about their broader sustainability, biodiversity and ocean health implications? If ships reduce GHGs, but travel on a dead ocean, does it matter? Of course it does—especially when a diverse and productive ocean is key to reversing the climate crisis through its immense capacity to soak up carbon. In fact, the ocean absorbs 31 per cent of global CO2 emissions.

For these reasons, the Clean Arctic Alliance has developed a vision to reframe how green corridors are defined and implemented in the Arctic. The vision focuses on five key approaches.

1. Decarbonizing Arctic shipping

The first focus must be energy efficiency measures, such as slower speeds and optimized routes to reduce fuel use across all vessel types. Along with the use of wind power, this approach could help the world meet both short- and longer-term climate targets. Once fuel demand has been reduced (with associated cost savings), scalable and zero-emission fuels that avoid controversial energy forms—such as bio and synthetic methane or hydrogen produced from fossil fuels—should be considered.

Liquefied natural gas needs to be explicitly ruled out as an alternative fuel due to its high leakage of methane gas, impacts from fracking, and lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions.

2. Reducing polluting emissions

Black carbon (or soot) in exhaust emissions has a disproportionate impact on the climate, contributing to global heating and speeding up ice and snow melt in the Arctic. It is responsible for more than 20 per cent of shipping’s global climate impact, and it is five times more potent when released in the Arctic because it darkens the ice and snow, reducing the reflectivity. Reducing black carbon emissions can reverse habitat loss, support food security and health for communities, and contribute to the world’s ability to reach climate targets.

Arctic green shipping corridors must require ships to eliminate the use of heavy fuel oil and switch to cleaner “polar fuels,” such as distillates, until zero-emission fuels are widely available, eliminating the need to install and use exhaust-cleaning scrubbers. The implementation of diesel particulate filters, such as those already used in land-based transport, would virtually eliminate black carbon emissions.

3. Mitigating biodiversity loss

Underwater radiated noise from shipping disrupts communication and navigation for marine life and interferes with their ability to reproduce and forage. Ships have been identified as the top contributor of this noise globally and can play a major role in quieting our oceans. Arctic green shipping corridors should use route optimization in important marine wildlife areas to reduce strikes and noise exposure and implement suitable noise thresholds for all ships. Speed limits within green corridors need to be prioritized, and efforts to reduce shipping noise should be incentivized.

4. Addressing other ship pollution sources

Tanks, machinery, engine spaces and equipment are flushed and washed during routine operations at sea and in ports. Residues from these processes can contain hazardous chemicals and oils that end up in our oceans. A strict zero-discharge and zero-tolerance regime must be in place in all green shipping corridors to ensure limited impacts on ocean health. Sewage and greywater discharges from ships can reduce oxygen levels, spread bacteria and viruses, and raise nutrient levels. Advanced wastewater treatment systems, strict no-discharge zones, and mandatory on-board management planning are paramount.

Shipping is also responsible for 60 to 90 per cent of the introduction of new, potentially invasive species through hull fouling and ballast water. Green shipping corridors in the Arctic must enforce strict ballast water management standards and mandatory application of the International Maritime Organization’s hull-fouling guidelines, which include frequent testing, regular hull inspections, and cleaning.

5. Supporting a just and equitable transition in shipping

It is critical that Arctic Indigenous Peoples and coastal communities be able to participate in policymaking, have access to training and education, and see direct benefits from green shipping corridors. The transition to a holistic and comprehensive approach must be just and equitable, increase access to and funding for emerging renewable energy solutions, and ensure protection from the economic and social hardships due to employment loss that can result when new technologies are implemented.

The ability to protect ocean health, reverse the climate crisis, and avoid biodiversity loss and pollution are key components of a truly green Arctic shipping corridor. For the good of the Arctic and the planet, we invite everyone involved in the maritime and green corridors spaces to consider an approach that will deliver results at the nexus of the triple planetary crisis.