What can we expect at the PPR8: The IMO's Pollution Prevention and Response Sub-Committee?

London Virtual: March 22-26 2021; As the International Maritime Organization's Pollution Prevention and Response Sub-Committee (PPR 8) meets, here's what will be relevant to the Arctic:

Black Carbon:

  • Black Carbon will be on the agenda at PPR 8: IMO Member States have the chance to take rapid and effective action to cut the emissions of black carbon in the Arctic. At PPR 8, IMO Members can, and must agree to put in place regulations that ensure the shipping industry operating in or near the Arctic switches to distillate fuels, such as diesel or marine gas oil, and mandate that vessels use particulate filters, or move to other cleaner energy sources or means of propulsion. In the longer term, work to develop a global black carbon emission standard for shipping must be timetabled.
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Black carbon emissions are a special threat to the Arctic from ships are

UN Shipping Agency Slammed for Fiddling While Arctic Melts

As this week’s virtual meeting of the International Maritime Organization’s Pollution Prevention and Response Sub-Committee (IMO, PPR 8) closes today, non-governmental organisations slammed the IMO proposal to develop weak non-binding “goal-based guidelines” instead of taking immediate and effective action to immediately reduce climate-warming emissions of black carbon from ships using heavy fuel oil in the Arctic.

“The Clean Arctic Alliance is completely shocked and bitterly disappointed by the decisions taken by IMO Member States during PPR 8, which will leave the IMO fiddling around with ineffective voluntary action, while the Arctic meltdown continues”, said Dr Sian Prior, Lead Advisor to the Clean Arctic Alliance. “Having completely buried their heads in the sand, the IMO and its Member States now need to watch out for rising waters.” Continue reading…

Open Letter to IMO Secretary-General Lim from the Clean Arctic Alliance_25 March 2021

Open Letter: International NGOs Urge Global Shipping Chief to Arrest Arctic Meltdown

International NGOs have sent an urgent letter to International Maritime Organization (IMO) Secretary-General, Mr Kitak Lim, calling on him to take action to address international shipping’s climate impact, ahead of Friday’s crucial decision on IMO measures on black carbon emissions in the Arctic.

 

“Now is the moment for decisive action by the IMO to ensure that black carbon emissions from shipping do not contribute any further to an Arctic meltdown. Now is NOT the moment for “goal-based” measures, guidelines or voluntary action”, reads the letter, titled Last ditch battle at the IMO to save the summer sea ice!, and signed by Dr Sian Prior, Lead Advisor to the Clean Arctic Alliance, a coalition of 21 international non-governmental organisations. Continue reading…
Black carbon emissions are a special threat to the Arctic from ships are

Press release: NGOs Urge Shipping Body To Halve Arctic Black Carbon Impacts By Switching Fuels

“This week the IMO has the opportunity put in place rapid and effective regulations to protect the Arctic and the global climate from the warming impacts of black carbon emissions, by obliging vessels operating in the Arctic to switch to cleaner shipping fuels”, said Dr Sian Prior, Lead Advisor to the Clean Arctic Alliance, an international coalition of 21 non-profit organisations. Continue reading…
Webinar: Switching Fuel - How to Cut Black Carbon Emissions from Arctic Shipping

Webinar Video: Switching Fuel – How to Cut Black Carbon Emissions from Arctic Shipping

Arctic sea ice, glaciers, permafrost and the Greenland ice sheet are all decreasing rapidly due to global heating, leading to global impacts such as sea-level rise and extreme weather patterns.

Against the background of the unfolding Arctic climate crisis, the Clean Arctic Alliance invites you to join an online event to explore how Arctic shipping can help alleviate the changes occurring in the Arctic, and to pose this question: Can a switch to alternative, cleaner fuels contribute to reducing black carbon emissions from Arctic shipping? Watch this webinar to find out more. 

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How the the IMO and Shipping Industry Can Halve Climate Warming Black Carbon in the Arctic

How the IMO and Shipping Industry Can Halve Climate Warming Black Carbon in the Arctic

Climate change is having a more rapid impact in the Arctic than anywhere else right now – the recent cold weather that blanketed North America and Europe, and caused chaos in places like Texas, has been linked to the consequences of a warming Arctic. What happens in the Arctic doesn’t stay in the Arctic – changes taking place in the north will have repercussions further south. Continue reading…
The Arctic is Changing Rapidly

How Black Carbon Emissions from Shipping Impact The Arctic

A series of six infographics highlighting the problem and threats posed by black carbon from emissions from shipping, with emphasis on the Arctic. Find out why the effects of black carbon (BC) have more in the Arctic, the health implications for communities, why black carbon is increasing, and what actions are available to reduce BC emissions from shipping. Continue reading…
Infographic: Heavy Fuel Oil Spills - Case Studies of a Global Problem

IMO and Arctic States Slammed for Endorsing Continued Arctic Pollution

Friday, November 20, 2020: NGOs protest outrageous approval of Arctic Heavy Fuel Oil “ban” which will drive continued pollution of the Arctic throughout 2020s. London, 20 November 2020:- The Clean Arctic Alliance today slammed the decision by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to approve a ban ridden with loopholes on the use and carriage of heavy fuel oil in the Arctic (HFO), saying that it would leave the Arctic, its Indigenous communities and its wildlife facing the risk of a HFO spill for another decade. Continue reading…
Pancake ice on Arctic Sea Ice: Dave Walsh Photography

Arctic Sea Ice Crisis: World Leaders Must Cut Emissions to Curb Arctic Heating

Monday November 2, 2020: Clean Arctic Alliance demands greater ambition on heavy fuel oil ban ahead of IMO meeting and calls for Arctic black carbon cuts of 90% and global greenhouse gas emissions by 60% Continue reading…

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Guide to the International Maritime Organization

Survival Guide:

Pacific Environment’s Guide to IMO is a resource for anyone looking to get a crash course in what the International Maritime Organization (IMO) is and how it operates. In the guide, you will find descriptions of committees and sub-committees, section by section summaries of key IMO instruments (like the Polar Code), a list of every participating non-governmental organization with links to their websites, a glossary of common acronyms and terms, and much more. Download here.

Infographics

Arctic Cards7-01
Infographic: Heavy Fuel Oil Spills - Case Studies of a Global Problem
Infographic: The IMO Draft Arctic Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO) Regulation: A Ban In Name Only?
Infographic: Heavy Fuel Oil in Arctic Shipping
Infographic: Benefits and Threats to Food Security and Arctic Life: Seeking a Ban on Heavy Fuel Oil
Infographic: Urgent and immediate action needed to cut black carbon emissions from ships
Infographic: The Use of Heavy Fuel Oil in Arctic Shipping
Baffinland Case Study
Infographic: The Arctic Climate Crisis - Calling Global Shipping to Action
Infographic: How Can We Reduce Black Carbon Emissions From International Shipping?
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HFO Free Arctic

The Clean Arctic Alliance is working for a ban on heavy fuel oil from Arctic shipping

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