As Of 2025, All Ships Transiting Through Malta Will Be Switching To Cleaner Fuels
As of May 2025, all ships passing through Malta will be switching to cleaner fuels after an international decision to ensure cleaner shipping.
This comes after the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) formally adopted a proposal for the designation of the Mediterranean sea as a Sulphur Emission Control Area (SECA).
The adoption of this pollution prevention measure means that all ships transiting through the Mediterranean sea shall be required to use cleaner fuels of a lower sulphur content to reduce their toxic emissions.
BirdLife Malta along with its German BirdLife Partner NABU (BirdLife Germany) and a number of Mediterranean partners have been lobbying for this measure, which is the first step towards cleaner shipping in the Mediterranean.
Air pollution control and environmental protection play a special role, with the Mediterranean sea being one of the busiest water bodies in the world.
The IMO decision to designate the Mediterranean sea as a Sulphur Emission Control Area is a crucial and long-awaited step towards cleaner air in the whole region, BirdLife Malta said in a press statement.
Shipping air pollution is said to represent up to 40% of all Mediterranean coastal cities’ air pollution, being a significant threat to human health, the environment, and climate.
BirdLife Malta warmly welcomes the shift to cleaner fuels for ships which will lead to improved air quality for people living in Malta and all 150 million people from around the Mediterranean.
“Although we do appreciate the willingness of the Mediterranean countries to upgrade the shipping sector by establishing the SECA, it is vital to continue the work in this direction by designating also an Emission Control Area (ECA) for Nitrogen (NECA) which is one of the key contributors of greenhouse gas emissions, being also harmful to human health and the environment,” BirdLife Malta said in a statement.
“We also call on the Maltese authorities to step up the drive to climate-friendly and clean shipping, being such an influential partner at IMO and in the midst of one of the busiest shipping routes in the world.”
“Advocating for a Nitrogen Emission Control Area, finalising the shore-to-ship electricity supply at the Grand Harbour as well as considering the electrification of ferry systems are amongst the measures.”
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