WWF-Canada urges Arctic GLACIER Conference to push for ban of heavy fuel oil in Arctic shipping

Toronto, August 27, 2015 – On Monday, the U.S. Department of State will host international leaders in Anchorage, Alaska at the Conference on Global Leadership in the Arctic: Co-operation, Innovation, Engagement and Resilience (GLACIER). Foreign ministers and high-level leaders from all eight Arctic nations will attend, along with representatives from countries and intergovernmental agencies with strong interests in the Arctic. 

WWF-Canada is calling attention to issues in need of international co-operation as we seek to support the economic needs of Arctic communities, reduce global greenhouse gas emissions and prevent ecosystem-damaging industrial activities in the region. 

The following is a statement from WWF-Canada President and CEO David Miller on the importance of phasing out the use of heavy fuel oil (HFO) in Arctic shipping.

“Of all the marine fuel options, heavy fuel oil is the most polluting and will cause the most damage in the event of a spill. Global leaders should commit to phasing out the use of this dirty fuel in Arctic waters over the next five years in order to slow the effects of climate change and protect this fragile ecosystem from a potentially disastrous spill. We look to GLACIER delegates to support the use of alternative cleaner fuels while working towards a ban on the use of HFO in Arctic waters by 2020.”

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For further information contact

Chris Chaplin, WWF-Canada, [email protected], +1 (416) 669-9155