Governments and corporations are looking for ways to reduce food-grade plastic pollution
New regulations will come into force in 2026 for small vessels and in 2032 for vessels over 10,000 gross tons. These strict standards apply only to tourist ships and ferries serving tourists in Norway's fjords, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.According to Andreas Bjelland Eriksen, Norway's Minister of Climate and Environment, the goal of the new shipping regulations is to protect the ecosystem of the picturesque fjords.
However, for some reason, these standards do not apply to the municipal fleet, which also transports tourists in the same fjords. The entire burden of transitioning to zero emissions has been placed on commercial cruise companies. Some companies have already expressed concern that such stringent requirements threaten their existence.
But the Norwegian Maritime Directorate, which proposed these standards, believes that this will ensure the necessary balance between the goal of zero emissions and the preservation of cruise traffic in the fjords, which are on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The Norwegian government, which has supported the new rules, is confident that they will promote the development of technologies, reduce emissions, and lead to a new level of sustainable tourism in the region.
Blogs
