{"id":1017,"date":"2023-10-29T01:26:00","date_gmt":"2023-10-29T01:26:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/arcticwatch.info\/?p=1017"},"modified":"2023-10-24T19:30:52","modified_gmt":"2023-10-24T19:30:52","slug":"growing-international-chorus-demands-reduction-of-arctic-shipping-impacts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arcticwatch.info\/index.php\/2023\/10\/29\/growing-international-chorus-demands-reduction-of-arctic-shipping-impacts\/","title":{"rendered":"Growing International Chorus Demands Reduction of Arctic Shipping Impacts"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Responding to the increasing pressure on the Arctic region by the climate crisis, more than 75 organisations and individuals \u2013 including scientists, writers, and photographers \u2013 have signed up to the \u2018Arctic Ocean Action\u2019, which calls on the international community to support \u201cequitable transition and urgent action to reduce shipping impacts on Arctic wildlife, habitats, ecosystems and communities\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Arctic Ocean Action, an initiative from the Clean Arctic Alliance, calls for urgent action to reduce the climate impact of ships operating in and near to the Arctic by 2030, through an immediate switch away from heavy oil-based fuels to distillate fuels (e.g. marine diesel) \u2013 or move towards cleaner non-fossil fuels or alternative forms of propulsion such as wind, in order to cut ship black carbon and greenhouse gas emissions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The statement also calls for a ban on the use of scrubbers, which clean fossil fuel emissions from vessel exhausts, as the wastewater produced in the process is discharged into the sea creating an ocean pollution problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWith the Arctic coming under ever increasing pressure from the impacts of the climate crisis, it\u2019s heartening to welcome so many strong and determined voices in support of Arctic Ocean Action\u201d, said Dr Sian Prior, Lead Advisor to the Clean Arctic Alliance. \u201cNow, policymakers must realise that unless we slash emissions, the Arctic region will become unrecognisable \u2013 and that will have profound implications for the rest of the world. What happens in the Arctic doesn\u2019t stay in the Arctic\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe Arctic is undergoing its most drastic transformation due to anthropogenic activity of the last 200 years. We must do everything in our power to protect the existing and evolving marine biodiversity and ecosystems which inhabit this space so we can hand it over to our children in a better state than we received it. It is imperative we protect the Arctic Ocean\u201d, said Antoinette Vermilye, co-founder of the Gallifrey Foundation.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\u201cWe are pleased to sign and support the Clean Arctic Alliance\u2019s Arctic Ocean Action.\u201d said Carolina Manhusen Schwab, President & Co-Founder of the Ocean Born Foundation. \u201cWhat we see happening in the Arctic must be a wake-up call for us all to bring everything we have to the table, to save the blue heart of our planet \u2013 and ourselves. We know that for life on Earth as we know it to survive, we need a healthy ocean which is why we are fully committed to restoring and protecting it and the work of the Clean Arctic Alliance is a key part in that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBound4blue is dedicated to advancing sustainable shipping solutions to reduce carbon emissions and fuel consumption\u201d, said Cristina Aleixendri, Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of rigid sail technology company bound4blue. \u201cJoining the Arctic Ocean Action is a natural extension of our commitment to cleaner, more responsible maritime practices. We believe that by promoting an equitable transition and taking urgent action to reduce shipping impacts in the Arctic, we can safeguard not only its fragile ecosystem but also the future of global shipping.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Emissions of short-lived climate pollutants, such as black carbon, are powerful climate forcers that contribute to global heating. Black carbon particles not only absorb heat in the atmosphere but when they settle in the Arctic, they increase the snow and ice melt, reduce reflectivity and accelerate warming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Arctic is now recognised to be warming nearly four times as fast as the rest of the world and Arctic tipping points, such as the loss of summer sea ice, could be reached as soon as the next decade. Arctic sea ice has reduced dramatically in recent years, with the last 17 years recording the 17 lowest Arctic summer sea ice extents and the Pacific side of the Arctic (Beaufort-Chukchi-East Siberian Seas) recording the second lowest sea ice extent on record this year (September 2023).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Urgently reducing emissions of short-lived climate pollutants from ships will help reduce the rate of climate change and is critical to meeting both short and long-term climate goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs Arctic shipping continues to grow, the use of heavy oil-based fuels which emit high levels of black carbon will contribute to the disintegration and collapse of Arctic sea ice\u201d, said Prior. \u201cSwitching to cleaner fuels and using diesel particulate filters, or alternative forms of propulsion such as wind, are possible today and will significantly reduce black carbon emissions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cContinuing the use of heavy oil-based fuels by installing scrubbers to reduce air pollution must be stopped, as the wastewater produced in the process is discharged into the sea creating an ocean pollution problem\u201d, said Eelco Leemans, technical advisor to the Clean Arctic Alliance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cReducing greenhouse gas emissions from ships by half by 2030 is essential to respond to the climate crisis and keep global heating below 1.5\u00b0C\u201d, said John Maggs, Senior Shipping Policy Officer with Seas At Risk, a member of the Clean Arctic Alliance. \u201cEfforts to reduce all greenhouse gas emissions arising from ships must meet this challenge\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Clean Arctic Alliance believes a holistic approach is required and urges the international community to support an equitable transition and urgent action to reduce shipping impacts on Arctic wildlife, habitats, ecosystems and communities. The Arctic Ocean Action specifically calls for:<\/p>\n\n\n\n