Yet environmental groups say the ban does not go far enough in geographic scope or addressing dirty black carbon emissions from ships, which can darken white ice and speed up the melting wrought by climate change.
Although the ban begins on July 1, it will only come into full force in after a number of exemptions expire. But some Arctic coastal countries told Reuters they intend to take more immediate action.
The regulation will result in the prohibition of nearly a third of HFO carried and 16 percent of HFO used in Arctic waters as of July 1, , compared with the Arctic fleet, according to a analysis by the non-profit International Council on Clean Transportation.
That is because it grants a temporary exemption to ships built since that have protected fuel tanks which lessen the likelihood of a spill. The regulation also allows Arctic coastal nations to grant waivers to ships flying the flag of the nation while operating in sovereign waters, until More than half of the Arctic fleet would meet the standards to receive a waiver, the analysis found.
Any waiver decision would be made public, a government spokesperson said, noting Canada had not yet received any applications. Finland has also not yet adopted the regulation, but a government spokesperson told Reuters it aimed to do so later this year.
