REVISION OF MARPOL ANNEX VI, THE NOx TECHNICAL CODE AND RELATED GUIDELINES

The document advocates for substantial reductions in shipping emissions to protect public health and the environment, arguing that cost-effective technologies already exist. It proposes that NOx and SOx emissions be reduced by 70-90% for new and existing ships by 2015, with interim NOx reductions of 40-50% by 2010. The authors highlight a significant gap between strict land-based emission standards in the US and EU and the much higher limits currently set by the IMO, noting that shipping emissions in European waters are projected to exceed all land-based European emissions within a decade.

• Shipping emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulphur oxides (SOx), and particulate matter (PM) cause severe onshore human health and environmental impacts, including premature death, heart and lung problems, acid rain, and eutrophication.
• A significant portion of global ship emissions, nearly 70%, occur within 400 km of shore, making them a direct threat to land-based environments.
• There is a vast discrepancy between IMO emission limits and land-based standards; for example, IMO NOx limits (9.8 to 17.0 g/kWh) are orders of magnitude higher than US land-based mobile source standards (0.27 to 3.5 g/kWh).
• Reducing emissions from ships is more cost-effective than implementing further reductions from land-based sources. For instance, the most expensive shipping NOx abatement measure is over 13 times cheaper than the cost for heavy-duty trucks and buses.
• Various feasible technologies exist to reduce emissions, including selective catalytic reduction (SCR), seawater scrubbing, in-engine modifications, and the use of low-sulphur distillate fuels.
• FOEI recommends that MARPOL Annex VI be amended to require 70-90% reductions in NOx and SOx emissions for both new and existing ships by 2015, with interim NOx reductions of 40-50% by 2010.
• The document proposes lowering the worldwide sulphur content limit for marine fuel, suggesting interim targets of 1% by 2010 and 0.5% by 2015.

APA

Clean Air Task Force (2006). REVISION OF MARPOL ANNEX VI, THE NOx TECHNICAL CODE AND RELATED GUIDELINES. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/21093050/20061113-2-11-FOEI.pdf

Chicago

Clean Air Task Force. REVISION OF MARPOL ANNEX VI, THE NOx TECHNICAL CODE AND RELATED GUIDELINES. 2006. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/21093050/20061113-2-11-FOEI.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Clean Air Task Force |title=REVISION OF MARPOL ANNEX VI, THE NOx TECHNICAL CODE AND RELATED GUIDELINES |date=20 October 2006 |url=https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/21093050/20061113-2-11-FOEI.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{cleanairtaskforce2006revision, author = {{Clean Air Task Force}}, title = {{REVISION OF MARPOL ANNEX VI, THE NOx TECHNICAL CODE AND RELATED GUIDELINES}}, publisher = {Clean Air Task Force}, year = {2006}, month = oct, url = {https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/21093050/20061113-2-11-FOEI.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }