Reacting to reports that ahead of scheduled trilogue discussions on February 16th, the EU Council will remove mention of black carbon from a future review of the Fit for 55 Fuel EU Maritime Regulation, Sian Prior from Seas At Risk and the Clean Arctic Alliance said “The EU’s Fit for 55 Fuel EU Maritime Regulation outcome being discussed in Strasbourg this week already fails to include a provision to regulate black carbon emissions, the largest source of shipping’s climate warming impact after CO2 – cutting any mention of doing so in the future is not only deplorable, it makes a complete mockery of the EU’s own commitments made in its 2021 Arctic Strategy to lead the world on reducing Arctic ship pollution”.
“Black carbon emissions have an disproportionate impact in the Arctic, a region already facing a climate breakdown set to lead to disastrous global consequences. Despite this, EU Council member states now reportedly want to eliminate any reference to black carbon in the regulatory review expected in 2026, claiming uncertainty and challenges in how to address black carbon”, said Prior. “Seas At Risk and the Clean Arctic Alliance are calling on the EU Council and Parliament to retain the reference to black carbon in a review clause which would ensure that black carbon emissions from ships are considered at the first review of the Regulation”, she continued.
As it stands, the Fit for 55 Fuel EU Maritime Regulation does not address black carbon – despite Seas At Risk and the Clean Arctic Alliance arguing for its inclusion – but it does include a review clause. This would mean that the Regulation would be reviewed in 2026, and black carbon must be explicitly included in the review. The danger now is that reference to black carbon could be removed.
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Posted on: 14 February 2023
