IMO to Discuss Creation of New North Atlantic Emissions Area

an oil tanker at sunset
Environment Corporate News
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Updated Published

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is expected to consider the establishment of a large new emissions control area (ECA) during the upcoming Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) meeting next year.

According to a new report released by the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT), creating an ECA in the North Atlantic—referred to as AtlECA—could prevent up to 4,300 premature deaths.

The ICCT, in collaboration with several NGOs, has put forward the proposal for the North Atlantic ECA to the IMO.

If approved, this would be the largest ECA to date, spanning from Portugal to Greenland and encompassing the waters of the Faroe Islands, France, Greenland, Iceland, Ireland, Portugal, Spain, and the United Kingdom.

Existing ECAs in the North Sea and Baltic Sea have already shown positive results, with a new ECA set to be implemented in the Mediterranean from 2025.