The Clean Arctic Alliance is urging Arctic governments to submit proposals on “polar fuels” to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) by December 5, following a black carbon announcement by nine countries at COP30 in Belém, Brazil.
The December deadline is for proposals ahead of the IMO’s Pollution Prevention and Response committee meeting (PPR 13) in February 2026 in London, which will develop regulations on fuel use in the Arctic.
At COP30, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Madagascar, Nigeria, Sri Lanka, and Uganda issued a joint statement on sectoral action to curb black carbon from both transport and energy sources. “Addressing black carbon offers a unique opportunity to advance climate change mitigation, build climate resilience, improve air quality, safeguard public health, and deliver sustainable development co-benefits,” the statement by the nine countries said.
Dr. Sian Prior, Lead Advisor of the Clean Arctic Alliance, stated: “As this announcement from COP30 shows, the world is starting to take urgent action on black carbon emissions — we need Arctic governments to take action ahead of the IMO’s December 5th deadline, in order to dramatically reduce black carbon emissions from Arctic shipping.”
“By making cleaner fuels (polar fuels) mandatory for shipping in this unique region that is already being dramatically affected by climate change, Arctic governments — and other IMO member states — have a unique opportunity to demonstrate joint leadership on this issue,” Prior added.
The Nordic Council of Ministers recently recommended that regional governments work towards securing IMO and MARPOL recognition of polar fuels.
Dr. Prior claimed: “Black carbon is one of the longest, unresolved issues running at the IMO, and must now be dealt with without delay. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has spent more than a decade on scientific analysis and discussions, but black carbon emissions from Arctic shipping remain unregulated.”
“A strong agreement on polar fuels to set rules which will reduce black carbon emission levels from shipping in the Arctic region is essential,” Prior said. “The deadline for submitting proposals is December 5th — and we want to see a concrete proposal led by Arctic states, including Canada, Norway, Iceland, /Greenland, on polar fuels that will ensure a rapid reduction in Arctic black carbon emissions, ahead of longer-term decarbonisation efforts.”
According to the Clean Arctic Alliance, a regulation requiring the use of polar fuels in the Arctic must set the foundation in MARPOL Annex VI (International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships) to cut emissions, thereby diminishing the impact of black carbon on the Arctic.
A report by Pacific Environment titled, On Thin Ice: Why Black Carbon Demands Urgent Action explores how the expansion of Arctic shipping is causing an increase in the release of black carbon into the air, which then settles on snow and ice, accelerating melting. The report calls for switching to readily available and cleaner “polar fuels,” such as marine distillates DMA and DMZ, or new fuels with comparable black carbon emissions levels.
Black carbon and polar fuels
Black carbon is described as a short-lived climate pollutant, produced by the incomplete burning of fossil fuels.
The Clean Arctic Alliance states it has an impact more than 1,600 times that of CO₂ over a 20-year period, and makes up around one-fifth of international shipping’s climate impact.
According to the alliance, black carbon not only contributes to warming while in the atmosphere but also accelerates melting if deposited onto snow and ice, hence it has a disproportionate impact when released in and near the Arctic.
In turn, the melting snow and ice expose darker areas of land and water, and these dark patches then absorb further heat from the sun, reducing the reflective capacity of the planet’s polar ice caps.
Black carbon also has a negative impact on human health, including premature death and harmful effects on the cardiovascular system, the Clean Arctic Alliance claimed. Recent research has found black carbon particles in the body tissues of fetuses, following inhalation by pregnant mothers, according to the organization.
In a paper submitted to a meeting of the IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC /2), NGOs called on IMO Member States to consider the development of a new regulation for inclusion in MARPOL Annex VI which would identify suitable polar fuels, for example, distillate fuels such as DMA or DMZ, to deliver an immediate fuel-based reduction in black carbon emissions from international shipping impacting the Arctic.
The paper expands on the “polar fuels” concept discussed at a technical subcommittee meeting (PPR 11) and outlines the characteristics that distinguish these products from residual grades, enabling shipboard reductions in black carbon emissions if mandated in and around the Arctic.
The PPR subcommittee revisited the “polar fuels” concept in January 2025, and the Clean Arctic Alliance said it welcomed the wide support shown by IMO member states and industry for taking the idea forward.
The Clean Arctic Alliance consists of 24 non-profit organisations campaigning for action to protect the Arctic environment and communities. Member groups include WWF, Greenpeace, Bellona, Ocean Conservancy, Pacific Environment, Transport & Environment, Surfrider Foundation Europe, Clean Air Task Force, and the Iceland Nature Conservation Association.
