World News
T&E: IMO Definition on Arctic Black Carbon Welcome But Long Overdue
Non-governmental organisation (NGO) Transport & Environment (T&E) has welcomed the International Maritime Organization (IMO)'s decision to recommend a definition of black carbon, but says it is long overdue, it said in an emailed press release.
"This agreement on a definition is welcome but long overdue as increasing black carbon emissions from shipping can accelerate the melting of Arctic ice," said Bill Hemmings, T&E's Clean Shipping Manager.
"Now the IMO can focus on evaluating which measurement technologies and control measures can be deployed."
The IMO's Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) is said to be set to agree the definition in May.
T&E said black carbon deposited by ships on ice and snow in the Arctic exacerbates the melting of ice by reducing what is known as the "albedo effect," or the ice's ability to reflect sunlight.
T&E said the definition had been arrived at by "scientific consensus" but only after four years of debate.
According to T&E lack of agreement at sub-committee level had held up technical work on testing and calibration of black carbon measurement methods.
"The simplest way to [reduce black carbon deposits] is to ban the use of heavy fuel oil, HFO, to power ships," said Hemmings.
As shippers prepare to make more use of the Northern Sea Route, reducing black carbon deposits is imperative, Hemmings said.
In October, T&E called on the MEPC not to restrict public access to energy efficiency design index (EEDI) data saying it would be a barrier to efforts to reduce emissions.
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