US and Canada move to limit Arctic HFO use

President Obama and Prime Minister Trudeau’s commitment to low-impact shipping, science based management of marine resources and protecting the Arctic from the future risks of offshore oil and gas activity, sets the stage for deeper partnerships with other Arctic nations.

America’s target to deliver low impact shipping will include the US Coast Guard, in consultation with industry, Indigenous communities and the State of Alaska, working together to reduce the use of HFO in the Arctic.

Transport Canada is conducting similar outreach and consultations to develop proposals into 2017. The United States and Canada will each, or jointly, propose a plan for consideration at the International Maritime Organization’s summer 2017 meeting.

The news has been welcomed by Arctic environmental groups such as the Clean Air Alliance.

“The Clean Arctic Alliance applauds the commitment of President Obama and Prime Minister Trudeau to develop a concrete proposal to phase down HFO use in the Arctic”, said Dr Sian Prior, Clean Arctic Alliance advisor.

“With ship traffic in the Arctic expected to grow dramatically as Arctic sea ice continues to decline, this announcement demonstrates real regional leadership towards protecting the Arctic from future harm.”

In addition to its HFO strategy, America is designating the vast majority of US waters in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas as indefinitely off limits to offshore oil and gas leasing and Canada will designate all Arctic Canadian waters as indefinitely off limits to future offshore Arctic oil and gas licensing.

This will be reviewed every five years through a climate and marine science-based life-cycle assessment.