Ships' engines generate global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions greater than those of the aviation industry, while also generating very large amounts of nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulphur oxides (SOx) and particulates, which (although not contributing to global warming) have detrimental effects on air quality and human health. The UN's International Maritime Organisation is actively considering possible means of reducing global ship emissions of CO2, but has already put in place a series of measures to reduce emissions of SOx. These include Emission Control Areas (ECAs) in the North Sea/English Channel and the Baltic. Ships must operate in the ECAs with fuel oil which has a maximum sulphur content of 1.0 per cent (reducing to 0.1 per cent in 2015). This study will shadow Swedish and UK Port-State Control Officers on ship inspections in the North Sea and Baltic ECAs and interview a sample of regulators and enforcement officers, ship operators and other key stakeholders. Following the interviews and observational work, an attempt would be made to find consensus among a panel representing a range of stakeholder interests on both the current problems in the operationalisation of the SOx emission controls and on the implications of these problems for the future design of CO2 controls.

Qualitative interviews and observational data