New Initiative to Ban HFO Use in the Arctic Launched in Malta

The Our Ocean conference in Malta saw the launch of the Our Ocean Arctic Commitment. Image Credit: HFO-Free Arctic

HFO-Free Arctic says last week's Our Ocean conference in Malta hosted the launch of the Our Ocean Arctic Commitment, which is intended to expand collaboration between the cruise industry, environmental NGOs, and indigenous communities to protect the Arctic.

The multi-stakeholder collaboration brings together the Clean Arctic Alliance (CAA), the Eyak Preservation Council, Hurtigruten AS (Hurtigruten), and the European Climate Foundation.

The Our Ocean Arctic Commitment follows the January 2017 launch of the Arctic Commitment, which has been signed by more than 50 Arctic companies, polar explorers, indigenous groups, NGOs and political figures.

"Following the success of the Arctic Commitment since we launched in Tromsø in January, and recent commitments made by IMO member states regarding measures to mitigate the effects of heavy fuel oil at MEPC71, we are honoured to launch this new commitment at Our Ocean, calling on  industry, environmental NGOs and indigenous communities to join us in working towards an eventual Arctic ban on use and carriage of shipping’s dirtiest fuel," said Dr. Sian Prior, Lead Advisor to the CAA.

Daniel Skjeldam, CEO of expedition cruise operators Hurtigruten, said: "the use of heavy fuel oil (HFO) has already been banned in the Antarctic, now it’s time to ban it in the Arctic as well.

"The shipping industry must be frontrunners in promoting regulations that will secure sustainable Arctic growth."

Hurtigruten is noted to have chosen not to use HFO in any of its ships, and in April 2016 announced that it had intentions of transitioning to vessels with dual battery-bio fuel propulsion.