France, Germany, Solomon Islands and Denmark Propose Polar Fuel Rule at IMO
Proposal would require ships north of the 60th parallel to use polar fuels; ship black carbon emissions reached 3,310 metric tons in 2024.
Overview
France, Germany, the Solomon Islands and Denmark proposed that the International Maritime Organization require all ships traveling north of the 60th parallel to use lighter "polar fuels," and they will present the measure to the IMO's Pollution Prevention and Response Committee this week, officials said.
Ship-sourced black carbon in Arctic waters rose to 3,310 metric tons in 2024 from 2,696 metric tons in 2019, while the number of ships entering waters north of the 60th parallel increased 37% between 2013 and 2023, Energy and Environmental Research Associates and Arctic Council data show.
Iceland's Ministry of Environment, Energy and Climate said the proposal was "positive with regard to its purpose and basic content" but that further study was needed, the ministry said.
A 2024 ban on heavy fuel oil in Arctic waters has had only modest impact because waivers and exceptions allow some vessels to continue using residual fuels until 2029, Energy and Environmental Research Associates found.
The proposal's prospects are uncertain amid geopolitical friction that has previously delayed IMO measures, and delegates will debate the proposal in committee sessions this week and possibly again in April, analysts said.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the coverage as an environmental danger being sidelined by geopolitics and industry resistance. Editorial choices—loaded phrases like "heavy environmental cost" and "taken a backseat," selection of NGO experts and climate studies, and emphasis on Trump-era political obstruction—collectively prioritize urgency and regulatory failure over alternative economic perspectives.
Sources (3)
FAQ
Polar fuels refer to lighter distillate fuels with lower black carbon emissions compared to heavy fuel oil (HFO). They are proposed to reduce ship-sourced black carbon emissions in Arctic waters, which rose to 3,310 metric tons in 2024.
A 2024 ban on HFO in Arctic waters exists under MARPOL Annex I regulation 43A, but it has modest impact due to waivers and exceptions allowing some vessels to use residual fuels until July 1, 2029.
Ship-sourced black carbon emissions increased from 2,696 metric tons in 2019 to 3,310 metric tons in 2024, while the number of ships north of the 60th parallel rose 37% between 2013 and 2023.
The Polar Code is a mandatory IMO framework under SOLAS and MARPOL for ships in polar waters, addressing safety and environmental protection since 2017. The proposal builds on it by mandating polar fuels to further cut black carbon beyond the HFO ban.
Prospects are uncertain due to geopolitical frictions delaying IMO measures; it will be debated at the Pollution Prevention and Response Committee this week and possibly in April.
History
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