Responding to reports that Russia intends to carry out year-round transits through the Arctic Ocean’s Northern Sea Route, Clean Arctic Alliance Lead Advisor Dr Sian Prior said:
“If year-round transiting through the Northern Sea Route appears an attractive proposition due to loss of Arctic Sea ice caused by climate warming, then think again – burning yet more fossil fuels in the region will exacerbate climate impacts. Greenhouse gas and black carbon emissions from ships operating in the Arctic contribute to the warming of the Arctic – currently four times faster than elsewhere on Earth – and as the Arctic warms, this will have significant repercussions further south. Furthermore, increased shipping through poorly charted waters is a recipe for an environmental disaster such as an oil spill”.
“The Clean Arctic Alliance calls on all Arctic states to prioritise switching away from all fossil-fuelled shipping in the Arctic region at the earliest opportunity, and to consider carefully the consequences of jumping on the Arctic shipping bandwagon.”
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