Environmental organizations have welcomed Greenland’s decision to prohibit ship scrubber wastewater discharges, calling for similar restrictions across the Arctic and
Environmental organizations have welcomed Greenland’s decision to prohibit ship scrubber wastewater discharges, calling for similar restrictions across the Arctic and globally.
In a November 4 statement, the Clean Arctic Alliance welcomed Greenland’s decision to introduce a phased ban on scrubber discharges in its ports, internal waters and territorial sea.
Under the approved timetable, discharges from open-loop exhaust gas cleaning systems will be prohibited from July 1, 2027, with the restriction extending to all scrubber systems, including closed-loop and hybrid installations, from July 1, 2029.
Dr. Kaare Press-Kristensen, senior advisor at Green Global Future, described the parliamentary decision as an important step toward cleaner shipping and encouraged other countries to adopt similar restrictions.
The Clean Arctic Alliance also called on the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to introduce a global prohibition on scrubber wastewater discharges, beginning with the environmentally sensitive Arctic.
Sian Prior, Lead Advisor to the Clean Arctic Alliance, urged Iceland, Norway and Canada to follow Greenland’s example by introducing restrictions in their territorial waters. The organization also called on Arctic states to support upgrading the existing OSPAR recommendation on territorial sea discharges into a binding regional decision in 2027.
According to the Alliance, scrubber systems allow ships to continue using high-sulfur fuels while transferring pollutants from exhaust gases into the marine environment through wastewater discharges.
The organization also raised concerns about particulate emissions, including black carbon, associated with the continued use of residual fuels in Arctic waters.
Greenland’s decision follows similar restrictions introduced by Denmark, Sweden and Finland and aligns with wider regional efforts to limit scrubber wastewater pollution.
The Alliance additionally highlighted a proposal for a green shipping corridor between Nuuk and Reykjavík, under which vessels would use marine gas oil to reduce environmental impacts.
The statement reflects growing pressure from environmental organizations for coordinated international action on scrubber discharges, as national and regional restrictions continue to expand.
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