The Mediterranean Action Plan of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP/MAP)—Barcelona Convention Secretariat is marking the first edition of the International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies on 7 September 2020.
We are calling for renewed commitment by the Contracting Parties to the “Roadmap for a Proposal for the Possible Designation of the Mediterranean Sea, as a whole, as an Emission Control Area for Sulphur Oxides Pursuant to MARPOL Annex VI, within the Framework of the Barcelona Convention”, which was adopted at COP 21 (Naples, Italy, 2-5 December 2019).
On 1 January 2020 new regulations introduced by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), put the limit of Sulphur content in fuel oil used on board ships operating outside designated Emission Control Areas at 0.50 per cent m/m (mass by mass). The proposed Emission Control Area for Sulphur Oxides in the Mediterranean (Med SOx ECA) would cap Sulphur content at just 0.10 per cent m/m.
According to a study commissioned by the Regional Marine Pollution Emergency Response Centre for the Mediterranean Sea (REMPEC), the UNEP/MAP Regional Activity Centre jointly administered with IMO, Med SOx ECA would translate to a 78.7 per cent drop in SOx emissions. In the Mediterranean, which hosts the world’s busiest shipping lanes, effects of this magnitude would matter greatly, especially in the populous coastal zones.
In an op-ed highlighting the environmental and health-related benefits of Med SOx ECA, Gaetano Leone, Coordinator, UNEP/MAP—Barcelona Convention Secretariat wrote that “the arguments in favor of Med SOx ECA are compelling. Acting on them would entail and demonstrate strong leadership. At this time further commitment is needed to cement agreement and move forward with the proposal.”
“Regional solidarity in the spirit of the Barcelona Convention, including through technology transfer and capacity building, would go a long way in assuaging concerns about possible difficulties in dealing with the regulatory, technical and economic implications of the proposal,” Mr. Leone observed.
A page dedicated to the International Day of Clean Air for Blue Skies with a focus on Med Sox ECA will be aired by the UNEP/MAP Regional Activity Centre for Information and Communication (INFO/RAC) starting from 4 September 2020. It will include a presentation of the context, the benefits and the next steps for curbing the emissions of Sulphur Oxides from maritime traffic in the Mediterranean.
Marking International Day of Clean Air For Blue Skies with a focus on air quality in the Mediterranean coasts will signal the beginning of the “Coast Day 2020” campaign, which will culminate in the celebration of Coast Day on 25 September 2020.
The UNEP/MAP Regional Activity Centre for Information and Communication is coordinating the campaign with PAP/RAC, REMPEC and the other MAP system components.
Take part in the digital campaign
- International Day of Clean Air For Blue Skies: #CleanAirForAll #WorldCleanAirDay
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Coast Day campaign: #CoastDay
You can support our endeavor for the protection of the marine and coastal environment in the context of sustainable development in the Mediterranean region by sharing your perspective, photos and the action you are taking with the following hashtags:
You can also follow us on Twitter for regular updates on the UNEP/MAP—Barcelona Convention system: https://twitter.com/UNEPMAPNews
