Some environmental and Indigenous organizations say the ban doesn’t go far enough, while others have expressed concern about the economic impacts on remote communities.

On November 20, the United Nations agency that regulates shipping passed new regulations banning HFO in the Arctic after July 1, 2024.

The ban aims to reduce the risk of an HFO spill as the number of ships in the Arctic increases. 

Under the new rules, however, double-hulled ships are allowed to keep using HFO in the Arctic until July 2029. Countries with Arctic coastlines can also allow ships sailing with their flags to use HFO until that time. 

Andrew Dumbrille, a senior specialist on sustainable shipping at World Wildlife Fund Canada, said that five-year extension will allow “a decade more of the world’s most polluting and hazardous fuel being moved in the Arctic.” 

Heavy fuel oil is used to power large marine vessels because it’s cheap and readily available. 

According to Dumbrille and the Canadian government, HFO is thick, dense, and does not evaporate quickly – meaning spills are difficult to clean up and can stay in the environment for a long time.

At freezing temperatures, HFO is more likely to be trapped in the ice than other fuels. 

“It can move in soil, and damage shorelines, and interfere with fisheries and local communities much more than other fuel,” Dumbrille said.

When HFO is burned, it emits black carbon, a particulate that some studies suggest is contributing to the accelerated melting of Arctic sea ice.

Given all of those factors, Dumbrille said, “This needs to be banned yesterday – immediately.”