Open letter calling on the UK Government to extend the Emissions Control Area (ECA)
Opportunity Green, Transport & Environment, Green Alliance, Fundación Ecología y Desarrollo ECODES, ZERO, the Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union (NABU) and the Clean Arctic Alliance call on the UK Government to extend the North Sea and English Channel ECA in UK waters.
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The open letter calls for the UK Government to expand its Emissions Control Area (ECA) in UK waters and collaborate with neighbouring coastal states to establish an ECA beyond UK waters.
An ECA currently exists in UK waters to the east and south in the English Channel and the North Sea, in which a sulphur cap of 0.1% and a Nitrous Oxide limit for newbuild ships (built after 2021) apply. As there are already existing ECAs in the North Sea, elsewhere in Europe, and in North America, most ships will already be equipped to comply with the regulations.
A forthcoming study from the ICCT estimates that 88% of ships sailing in the North Atlantic, including UK waters, also sail in other existing or proposed ECAs. It will therefore be easy to comply with an extended ECA and add minimal costs to any journey.