The Nordic Council has adopted a resolution urging Nordic governments to work with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to introduce rules requiring ships in Arctic waters to use cleaner “polar fuels” such as DMA and DMZ to reduce black carbon emissions.
The move was welcomed by the Clean Arctic Alliance, which said the decision should drive faster IMO action to protect the Arctic from shipping pollution.
“The resolution on polar fuels adopted by the Nordic Council this week should spur Nordic governments to take the lead on action with IMO Member States to urgently protect the Arctic from the impacts of shipping emissions,” said Dr Sian Prior, Lead Advisor to the Clean Arctic Alliance.
The Alliance warned that black carbon — a short-lived climate pollutant from burning fossil fuels — has more than doubled in the past decade, accelerating Arctic ice melt. Concrete proposals for new IMO regulations must be submitted by 5 December ahead of the IMO’s PPR13 meeting in February 2026.
