The UK has a shipping pollution problem. Is the new government ready to solve it?

London: Blánaid Sheeran, Opportunity Green’s policy officer, explains why the new UK government has all evidence it needs to support a wider Emissions Control Area.

A recent study by the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) demonstrates severe air pollution problems in UK waters, due to heavy shipping traffic and a lack of adequate regulation. And it is only set to get worse.

UK waters are one of the top three most polluted for all North-Atlantic coastal states. The proposed North Atlantic Emissions Control Area (North Atlantic ECA) offers a simple way to address this, and gives the new UK government a chance to show its dedication to international collaboration towards a less polluting shipping sector.

If adopted, it would mean stricter regulations on ships in designated areas, aimed at reducing and controlling their harmful air polluting emissions. It could be the world’s largest ECA, covering waters as far north as Greenland and as far south as Spain, resulting in significant human health and marine biodiversity benefits.

With the release of the ICCT’s study, the case for the UK government’s proactive participation in this regional measure is now inarguable.

To no one’s surprise, international shipping is a highly polluting industry. Alongside its well-established contribution to climate change, the sector has serious impacts on human health, our oceans and marine wildlife. The burning of heavy fuel oil (HFO), the sector’s typical fuel of choice, emits harmful air pollutants like sulphur oxides (SOx) and nitrogen oxides (NOx), which contribute to the formation of fine particulate matter (PM 2.5).

Many studies link these pollutants to substantial health risks, including respiratory diseases like increased rates of asthma in children, cardiovascular diseases, and increased mortality. Populations closest to ports and high traffic shipping routes are exposed to the highest air pollution concentrations and suffer the most significant health burdens. Without action, shipping’s air polluting emissions will only grow.

But as this new study clearly demonstrates, air pollution levels can be reduced considerably with emission control measures. The ICCT estimates that the North Atlantic ECA could lead to 82% reduction in SOx emissions, 64% reduction in PM2.5 and 36% reduction in black carbon (BC) emissions.

In concrete terms, the impacts of these emissions reductions could be immense. By example, emissions reductions from the North American ECA designation are estimated to prevent 3,700 to 8,300 premature deaths each year. While the Mediterranean Sea ECA is expected to avert between 3,100 and 4,100 premature deaths in 2030 alone, rising to over 10,000 premature deaths annually by 2050.

With evidence like this, it’s critical that the new UK government acknowledges the massive problem of shipping’s air-polluting emissions, and even more importantly, acts to address it.

But surely adopting a North Atlantic ECA isn’t that straightforward? Well, actually it is.

If the health and marine biodiversity benefits shown through other ECAs aren’t enough to sway policymakers, the fact that most ships sailing through the proposed waters already have full capacity to reduce their air polluting emissions should be.

The ICCT study estimates that 88% of the vessels sailing in the proposed ECA waters are already navigating in other established or proposed ECAs. This means they can easily comply with new regulations because, for the most part, they’re already equipped to do it elsewhere.

The problem is, they won’t do it without policy intervention. In practice, rather than using air pollution reduction methods throughout the entire journey, ships that operate both within and outside of ECAs swap back to higher polluting methods after leaving the designated area.

The case for the UK’s support on this has never been stronger. By getting on board, the new UK government could make a powerful start as a champion for cleaner air and less polluting shipping practices that would benefit the UK and much further afield.