Ahead of the Kingdom of Denmark taking over the Arctic Council Chairship from Norway next week, the Clean Arctic Alliance is calling on government ministers and Senior Arctic Officials from Arctic Council member and observer states to commit to curbing the rise of black carbon and methane pollution from shipping in the Arctic (see sections on black carbon and methane below).
When the 14th meeting of the Arctic Council takes place in a virtual format on 12 May, the outgoing Norwegian chair is expected to highlight its accomplishments over the past two years, while the incoming Kingdom of Denmark chair, including Greenland and the Faroe Islands, will outline its priorities for the coming two years.
“Tackling black carbon and methane pollution from marine traffic could dramatically reduce the impacts of the climate crisis before 2030 – this should be a top priority for Arctic Council member and observer states next week”, said Dr Sian Prior, Lead Advisor to the Clean Arctic Alliance. “It's critical that urgent action be taken within every sector, including Arctic shipping, in the next five years, in order to reverse the trend in sea ice loss, maintain the Arctic's role in global cooling, and prevent climate tipping points with irreversible consequences. Ministers and Senior Arctic Officials attending this year's 14th Arctic Council meeting must drive this action by setting bold targets for reductions of short-lived climate ‘super pollutants' – like black carbon and methane.”
The period 2025-2030 is short-term opportunity for the shipping sector to take climate action and is the first big International Maritime Organization deadline for reducing shipping's climate impact (the first target is 20%, striving for 30% by 2030), while scientists are now expecting to see the first summer ice free Arctic day by the 2030s.
Arctic Shipping at the Nexus of the Triple Planetary Crisis
In its vision for the incoming Arctic Council Chair's 2025-2027 mandate, the Clean Arctic Alliance provides guidance for the Kingdom of Denmark “to demonstrate global leadership with respect to a region of the world that is in serious trouble” on several key issues, including reducing underwater radiated noise, eliminating pollution discharges into the ocean, dealing with the risks of oil spills, and most urgently minimizing emissions of greenhouse gases and short-lived climate super pollutants from shipping, including black carbon and methane.
“We're counting on all Arctic Council members and observer states to commit to urgent action on curbing the rise of black carbon and methane emissions from shipping in the Arctic”, said Andrew Dumbrille, Special Advisor to the Clean Arctic Alliance. “There's good news on tackling pollution from ships in the Arctic – dealing with black carbon and methane could dramatically reduce the impacts of the climate crisis before 2030.”
“Black carbon could be reduced between 50-80% overnight by switching away from heavy fuel oils to distillate fuels, while methane emissions can be avoided by making fuel choices that don't involve liquefied natural gas (LNG) or other methane based fuels”, said Dumbrille. “The Arctic Council and its members must commit to new and ambitious black carbon reduction targets to incentivize the switch away from residual heavy fuels and kick start the eventual decarbonization of the entire Arctic shipping fleet.”
Ahead of the 14th Arctic Council meeting, Clean Arctic Alliance member organisations and allies also called for action:
“Now that Royal Arctic Line, the seaborne freight company owned by the Government of Greenland responsible for imports and exports, has already decided voluntarily to phase out heavy fuel oil and scrubbers to reduce Arctic pollution, we hope that Greenland, as chair of the Arctic Council, will urge other shipping companies and states to take similar actions to protect the unique fragile Arctic ecosystems”, said Kåre Press-Kristensen, Senior Advisor to Green Global Future.
“The Tribes of the Bering Strait depend on healthy marine ecosystems for our food, culture, and wellbeing. Super pollutants such as black carbon and methane pose a serious risk to those values and our ways of life in the Arctic”, said Melanie Bahnke, President, Kawerak, Inc. “The Arctic Council has a unique opportunity to agree to commitments which can protect and safeguard food sovereignty and habitats which Tribes depend upon. We're hopeful that all members and observers to the Arctic Council take on ambitious targets and measures to reduce black carbon and methane in not only the shipping sector but in all activities across the Arctic.”
“We believe that the Greenland chairmanship will truly prioritise Arctic nature and indigenous communities over oil, gas, and mineral extraction, including deep sea mining, and promote respect of sovereignty and rule of law in the Arctic, much needed in the current political context”, said Ksenia Vakhrusheva, Project Manager and Policy Advisor at Bellona. “We also urge the Arctic Council under the new chair to closely monitor the shadow oil fleet going through the Arctic waters – a major threat to the Arctic environment at the moment.”
“Protecting the Arctic from climate change is a huge and urgent challenge, but we know how to solve it!”, said Lola Berna, Project Manager at ECODES. “Cutting down super pollutants emissions is a fast way of reducing our impact on the environment and the Arctic Council needs to act consequently, incentivizing cleaner ways of propulsion while banning those that emit black carbon and methane.”
“Nowhere on this planet would the impacts of black carbon emissions and other harmful super pollutants be more devastating than the highly vulnerable Arctic ecosystem”, said CT Harry, Senior Ocean Policy Analyst at the Environment Investigation Agency. “The Arctic Council must maintain strong ship emission protections in order to preserve this critically important region.”
“The Arctic Council's Expert Group on Black Carbon and Methane must set the bar high when it comes to developing reduction targets for super pollutants in the Arctic”, said Elissama Menezes, Director at Equal Routes. “As sea ice melts and communities experience the devastating impacts of a climate emergency they didn't create, regional action is more critical than ever. Significant emissions reductions can be achieved by steering clear of methane based fuels for shipping, like LNG and completely switching away from heavy bunker fuels once and for all to cleaner and zero emission alternatives.”
“The Arctic's future is the planet's future”, said Jase Hatcher, Senior Oceans Campaigner at Friends of the Earth US. “We cannot wait for substantive cooperation on super-pollutants like Black Carbon that have an outsized impact on the Arctic's icy landscape or increased underwater radiated noise that threatens its marine life. We cannot tolerate false solutions that put profit over the health of the people and delicate ecosystems that the Arctic represents, nor remedies developed without true partnership and collaboration with Arctic Indigenous Peoples. Now more than ever, we need leadership with the clarity to do what is right, and the vision to ensure the Arctic is here long after we are gone.”
“Recently Iceland has been stepping up its engagement for the conservation of the North-East Atlantic with the creation of the emission control area”, said Árni Finnsson, Board Chair at the Iceland Nature Conservation Association. “We trust the Icelandic government will take further action immediately to ban heavy fuel oil in the Arctic, and banning black carbon emissions from ships within its 12-mile territorial waters. Iceland also plays a critical role within the Arctic Council and must also show leadership in that forum on clean shipping and reducing black carbon.”
“Today more than ever, leadership on the urgent need to reduce carbon emissions by Arctic nations, Permanent Participants and Observers is essential”, said Pam Pearson, Director, International Cryosphere Climate Initiative (ICCI). “The message of the Arctic is clear: there is no negotiating with the melting point of ice, nor with the impacts of acidification of the Arctic Ocean, both the result of still-rising carbon pollution. A strong message of this physical reality from the Chair is vital on the road to COP30 and beyond.”
“The Arctic is a climate tipping point – melting ice and rising temperatures in the area affect the entire planet”, Raija Koch, Transport Policy Officer, NABU. “The Arctic Council has a crucial role and the capability and authority to cut super pollutants such as black carbon and methane. The world is watching, and with bold action now, the Arctic can be protected to not only preserve the local environment but also to help slow the global climate crisis and enable the future for next generations.”
“Super pollutants such as black carbon and methane pose a significant threat to ecosystems and people in the Arctic”, said Sarah Bobbe, Senior Manager, Arctic Program at Ocean Conservancy. “They trap much more heat than carbon dioxide, even in small amounts. The good news is that solutions such as switching away from heavy fuel oil in marine shipping, to readily available cleaner alternatives, can drastically reduce black carbon overnight. By showing leadership and setting new reduction targets for black carbon emissions, the Arctic Council has a golden opportunity to reduce these pollutants and enable immediate action.”
“Leadership and action by the Arctic Council is urgently needed at this time when the Arctic is facing the triple threat of biodiversity loss, climate change and pollution”, said Jim Gamble, Senior Director – Arctic Program at Pacific Environment. “The Arctic Council should act quickly to address the deleterious effects of pollution on sensitive Arctic ecosystems and the communities that depend on them, and especially to eliminate emissions of black carbon and other short lived climate forcers, which would have an immediate positive effect on the Arctic and the global climate.”
“Greenland stepping up as chair for the Arctic Council is the perfect opportunity to sail away from methane and black carbon emissions”, said Anaïs Rios, Shipping Policy Officer, Seas At Risk. “The Arctic is melting – fast – and vulnerable communities are bearing the brunt of the climate crisis. The good news? Solutions exist – fitting wind assisted propulsion sails, even on existing vessels, can cut emissions and boost efficiency. The science is clear and so is the course we need to chart.”
“The Arctic is a critical ecosystem to protect, not only for those who live directly in and around it, but for the entire planet”, said Anna Barford, Oceans Campaigner, Stand.Earth. “Now is the moment for shipping to move from laggard to leader in pollution prevention. By taking action to protect the Arctic, we lead the way in protecting the future.”
“Denmark has a unique chance to lead the fight against shipping's climate impact as chair of the Arctic Council”, said Constance Dijkstra, Shipping Manager at Transport and Environment. “A bold target on black carbon could push the EU to act and regulate a pollutant 3,000 times more warming than CO₂ in the short term. The EU and IMO have so far failed to address this issue. But if Denmark is serious about saving snow and ice, the time to act is now. The Arctic can't wait, and neither can we.”
“With shipping activity projected to grow across Arctic waters, WWF calls on the Arctic Council to show strong leadership in addressing air and water pollution from ships—particularly black carbon emissions, which significantly accelerate the melting of snow and ice and pose serious threats to human health”, said Elena Tracy, Senior Advisor, WWF Global Arctic Programme. “WWF urges the Council to adopt ambitious, Arctic-specific black carbon reduction targets that explicitly include the shipping sector.”
“The Arctic wildlife and communities are being disproportionately hit by the climate crisis, with the region heating four times faster than the rest of the planet”, said Vera Pinho, Shipping Project Assistant at Zero.“Ambitious efforts by the Arctic Council to steer away from methane-based fuels and black carbon will be determinant to mitigate this challenge. Additionally, investing in short-term measures, such as wind propulsion and energy efficiency measures, will be essential to quickly slow the melting of sea ice.”
Source: Clean Arctic Alliance