IMO Approves Two New Emission Control Areas

The IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 81) approved the establishment of two new Emission Control Areas (ECAs) in the Arctic when it met last week.

The ECA in Canadian Arctic Waters is for nitrogen oxides, sulphur oxides and particulate matter. The Norwegian Sea ECA is for nitrogen oxides and sulphur oxides. The ECA proposals will now be submitted to MEPC 82 for adoption.

“The creation of these two new Emission Control Areas will set an important precedent for protection of our climate and our ocean, and particularly the Arctic,” said Dr Sian Prior, Lead Advisor to the Clean Arctic Alliance. “We hope that the designation of ECAs in Canadian Arctic waters and the Norwegian Sea will drive broad positive change on reducing shipping climate pollutants, especially if the shipping sector complies with the designation by switching to low-sulphur distillate fuels or other cleaner non-fossil fuels.

“In addition, moving to cleaner fuels will reduce emissions of SOx and particulate matter leading to co-benefits with reductions in black carbon (BC) emissions, provided that cleaner ECA-compliant fuels – and, in particular, distillates – are used.”

Discussion of other air pollution, including measures to control emissions of black carbon impacting the Arctic, were kicked down the road to MEPC 82, although it was noted that a co-benefit of the ECA approvals would be to reduce black carbon emissions in these areas.