The world marks the International Day of Clean Air for blue skies on 7 September. This year in the Mediterranean we have good reason to celebrate. The 78th session of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 78) of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), which convened on 6-10 June 2022, approved the designation of the Mediterranean Sea Emission Control Area for Sulphur Oxides and Particulate Matter (Med SOx ECA). The formal designation of the Med SOx ECA will be put forward for adoption at the 79th session of the IMO’s MEPC due to take place on 12-16 December 2022.
This is a major milestone that the Mediterranean Action Plan of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP/MAP) was instrumental in securing. The decision that cleared the way to the submission of a joint and coordinated proposal to IMO was adopted by 21 Mediterranean coastal States and the European Union at the 22nd Meeting of the Contracting Parties (COP 22) to the Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment and the Coastal Region of the Mediterranean (Barcelona Convention), which took place on 7-10 December 2021 in Antalya, Türkiye.
Strenuous efforts in consolidating the science base and clarifying key technical aspects pertaining to the Med SOx ECA proposal paved the way to the historic consensus reached in Antalya. These efforts were led by two regional activity centres of UNEP/MAP, namely the Regional Marine Pollution Emergency Response Centre for the Mediterranean Sea (REMPEC), which is jointly administered with IMO, and Plan Bleu. Advocacy and high-level engagement led by the UNEP/MAP Coordinating Unit galvanised the spirit of solidarity under the Barcelona Convention and saw the Contacting Parties rise above their differences to reach consensus on curbing air pollution from ships in the Mediterranean.
We put four questions to Gabino Gonzalez, Head of Office of REMPEC, to take stock of progress and understand what is at stake for air quality in the Mediterranean, one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world.
How serious is air pollution from ships in the Mediterranean?
Air pollution from ships is a major environmental challenge in the Mediterranean that represents less than 1 per cent of the world’s oceans but is one of the busiest seas in the world, supporting 20 per cent of seaborne trade. Close to densely populated coasts, ship pollutants, including Sulphur Oxides (SOx), Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) and Particulate Matter (PM) from fuel combustion, result in severe dangers for human health and marine ecosystems.
What does science say?
The designation of the Mediterranean Sea, as a whole, as an Emission Control Area for Sulphur Oxides (Med SOx ECA), with special requirements to reduce air emissions from ships, would result in many benefits for people, nature and in terms of climate change mitigation.
According to studies undertaken by UNEP/MAP, these benefits would consist in:
- An annual reduction of 8.5 million tonnes of SOx released into the atmosphere. The Med SOx ECA would lower emissions by 78.7 per cent for SOx and 23.7 per cent for PM2.5 compared with the currently applicable emission levels in the Mediterranean under the IMO sulphur limit (0.50% m/m).
- The prevention of 1,100 premature deaths and 2,300 cases of childhood asthma every year.
- The prevention of acidification (including acid rain in coastal zones) and its impacts on aquatic systems.
- The reduction of haze with improved visibility, thus preventing maritime incidents and improving tourism attractiveness.
- A contribution to the abatement of carbon dioxide emissions over time.
How would Med SOx ECA work in practice? How will compliance be monitored?
The proposed date of effective application of the Med SOx ECA is 2025. After its entry into force, no ship entering the Mediterranean Sea can use fuel with a sulphur content exceeding 0.10% m/m. It is the compliance with this rule that will be monitored in practice. This means that ships will use fuel oil that already has low enough sulphur content or install an appropriate exhaust "alternative” method to be compliant with the Med SOx ECA requirements.
What’s next in the UNEP/MAP-Barcelona Convention’s system quest for better air quality?
Although UNEP/MAP will soon assess the relevant existing studies and gather further knowledge on the possible designation of the Mediterranean Sea, as a whole, as an Emission Control Area for Nitrogen Oxides (NOx), the reduction of ship emissions is correlated with the necessity for countries to implement the Med SOx ECA, currently assisted by REMPEC, and then for shipping companies and other key actors, including in the industry, to shift the needle towards sustainability with technological upgrades and cleaner sources of energy, leading to cleaner air and better health for people and nature.
