PREVENTION OF AIR POLLUTION FROM SHIPS

The document assesses the environmental and health impacts of shipping emissions, noting that they are significantly less regulated than land-based sources. It provides data on global and regional emission inventories, specifically for Europe and the United States, and compares these to land-based mobile sources. The report details several cost-effective mitigation strategies, including the use of low-sulphur fuel, seawater scrubbing, engine modifications, selective catalytic reduction (SCR), and shore-side electrical power ('cold ironing').

• Shipping emissions are significant and projected to grow, with approximately 85% occurring in the northern hemisphere and nearly 70% occurring within 400km of land.
• In European sea areas, shipping emissions of SO2 and NOx are expected to increase by more than 42% and two-thirds respectively by 2020, at which point they will exceed total land-based emissions in EU25 countries.
• Marine diesel engines in the United States emit pollutants at rates far higher than land-based counterparts; new coastal and harbour craft can emit NOx and PM between 2 and 27 times higher than new non-road land-based heavy-duty diesels, while larger ocean-going (C3) ships can be up to 43 times higher for NOx.
• Reducing the sulphur content of marine fuel from an average of 2.7% to 0.5% would reduce SO2 emissions by approximately 80% and PM emissions by about 40%.
• Several NOx reduction technologies are identified as cost-effective, including water/fuel emulsions (reducing NOx by up to 40% or more) and selective catalytic reduction (SCR), which can reduce NOx by 65-99%.
• Shipping emissions contribute to severe human health issues, including premature cardiovascular mortality and lung cancer, and environmental damage such as acidification and eutrophication of coastal ecosystems.

APA

Clean Air Task Force (2005). PREVENTION OF AIR POLLUTION FROM SHIPS. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/21093047/MEPC_4-1-FOEI-CATF_shipping_background_paper.pdf

Chicago

Clean Air Task Force. PREVENTION OF AIR POLLUTION FROM SHIPS. 2005. https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/21093047/MEPC_4-1-FOEI-CATF_shipping_background_paper.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Clean Air Task Force |title=PREVENTION OF AIR POLLUTION FROM SHIPS |date=7 April 2005 |url=https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/21093047/MEPC_4-1-FOEI-CATF_shipping_background_paper.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{cleanairtaskforce2005prevention, author = {{Clean Air Task Force}}, title = {{PREVENTION OF AIR POLLUTION FROM SHIPS}}, institution = {Clean Air Task Force}, year = {2005}, month = apr, url = {https://cdn.catf.us/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/21093047/MEPC_4-1-FOEI-CATF_shipping_background_paper.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }