European shippers could face having to make cuts in their sulphur dioxide emissions by as much as 90 per cent by 2015, according to a new proposal from the European Commission.
In a report published this week, the Commission is also proposing cutting fine particle emissions by 80 per cent, with shipping companies poised to be given until 1 January 2015 to comply.
If passed into law, the European authorities’ plans would also mean a decrease in the allowed maximum level of sulphur content of maritime fuels emitted in “sensitive areas”, such as the English Channel, the North Sea and the Baltic Sea, from 1.5 per cent to 0.1 per cent.
In a statement, the Commission said: “As maritime emissions of air pollutants can travel large distances, they have an impact on land.
“Projections made in 2005 showed that without further regulatory action, the continued growth in emissions of sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides from the maritime sector will surpass total emissions of these pollutants from all land-based sources by 2020.”
The Commission said the potential benefits for the EU in terms of improved health and reduced mortality had been estimated at between €15bn to €34bn, far outweighing expected implementation costs of around €2.6bn to €11bn.
