Key takeaways
A solution to the alarming problem of proliferating black carbon emissions in the Arctic may (finally) advance at an upcoming meeting of the International Maritime Organization’s Pollution Prevention and Response subcommittee (PPR 13). As Pacific Environment is one of only a handful of NGOs with “consultative status” at the IMO, my colleagues and I will be at the meeting next month to advocate for the advancement of this critical proposal. PPR 13 will meet this Feb. 9-13, at which time it will consider and may recommend to its parent body, the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC), that a polar fuels requirement be imposed on ships operating in the Arctic.
As Arctic melting accelerates and climate urgency increases worldwide, momentum may be building toward mandating that ships operating in the Arctic burn cleaner fuels, an action that would significantly and quickly reduce black carbon emissions.
Four member states — Denmark, France, Germany and the Solomon Islands — submitted a proposal last December to PPR 13 to establish an Arctic fuel measure under MARPOL Annex VI that would reduce the impact of black carbon emissions in the Arctic from international shipping. A submission by Pacific Environment and other NGOs provides history and context about the proposal (PPR 13-6-1). The geographical area to which a regulation would apply has not yet been finalized and needs to be worked out in upcoming negotiations. Coverage of the entire Arctic where shipping occurs is essential.
Reducing black carbon from international shipping has been recognized for more than a decade as a necessary step to halt the Arctic’s catastrophic climate breakdown. However, many of the IMO’s 175 member states have been slow to agree on how to address it. With the introduction of the four-member-state proposal, the simple solution of switching to cleaner, widely-available distillate fuels could finally gain traction.
Having worked to reduce black carbon emissions from shipping in the Arctic for many years, Pacific Environment and other members of the Clean Arctic Alliance welcomed the recent signs of progress.
International shipping contributes to increased Arctic heating through both greenhouse gases and emissions of short-lived climate forcers such as black carbon. Black carbon is a short-lived climate pollutant produced by the incomplete burning of fossil fuels with a climate impact of more than 3,000 times that of carbon dioxide on a 20-year global warming potential basis.
Cleaner marine distillate fuels — so-called “polar fuels” — emit less black carbon than dirtier residual fuels, contributing less to Arctic warming.
Black carbon emissions in the Arctic have a disproportionate warming impact due to loss of reflectivity. In a vicious cycle of catastrophic Arctic melting, black carbon not only heats the atmosphere but also speeds up melting and exposes the dark land and water beneath that continue to absorb heat. When black carbon settles on snow and ice, it darkens them, reducing reflectivity and causing more solar radiation absorption rather than reflection. The additional heat accelerates the melting of snow and ice, contributing to warming feedback loops.
Rapid Arctic warming influences global climate patterns, weather systems and ecosystems far beyond the Arctic, posing a crucial concern for the whole planet.
A new report, “Black Carbon Emissions from Ships in the Arctic 2019 – 2024,” found that black carbon emissions from ships continued to increase substantially throughout the Arctic.
Black carbon emissions in the Arctic increased across all geographical scopes from 2019 to 2024, rising from 259 to 759 metric tonnes (MT) in the Polar Code area; from 2,696 to 3,310 MT in the 60 degrees north latitudinal band; and from 1,704 to 2,487 MT in AMAP area (a broader ecological boundary defined by the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme); according to the report by Energy and Environmental Research Associates (EERA) that analyzed ship traffic within three areas defining the Arctic.
Source: Black Carbon Emissions from Ships in the Arctic 2019 – 2024
Black carbon emission increases are projected to continue as sea ice recedes and shipping lanes become more open to transit.
EERA’s analysis found that trans-Arctic sea routes show strong growth in commercial activity, particularly along the Northern Sea Route, with the Northwest Passage more recently opening to vessel use. Residual fuel use is rising along these routes, resulting in significant increases in black carbon in the Canadian and Russian Exclusive Economic Zones.
Regulatory action is urgently needed because long-standing calls for voluntary action have been ineffective. It is undisputed that black carbon emissions could be cut significantly and quickly by requiring a switch to cleaner marine distillate fuels already in wide use globally. Yet, industry resistance and technical complexities have delayed action for almost 15 years.
Scientists have warned that achieving the goal of keeping warming to 1.5 C or below is impossible without reducing methane, black carbon and carbon dioxide. The U.N. Environment Programme recognized in 2018 that fast and immediate action on methane and black carbon could avoid over half a degree of warming by 2050, and 50% of the predicted Arctic warming by 2050. Such action could significantly reduce the chance of triggering Arctic climate tipping points, such as the loss of the Greenland ice sheet that would raise sea levels globally and accelerated thawing of Arctic permafrost that would trigger release of massive amounts of stored carbon.
Reducing black carbon emissions in the Arctic from maritime shipping by mandating cleaner fuel use is a significant, initial step that could be taken to immediately slow Arctic melting and global warming. Pacific Environment staff are looking forward to the February PPR 13 meeting and are hopeful that the four-member-state polar fuels proposal can move forward.
