The International Maritime Organization (IMO) approved on Friday a ban on the use of heavy fuel oil for ships in the Arctic, but environmental organizations slammed the new regulation as “riddled with loopholes” that would continue to exonerate some polluters well into the end of 2020s. The Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) of the UN’s organization IMO moved to ban the use of heavy fuel oil (HFO) and its carriage for use by ships in Arctic waters after July 1, 2024. The controversy in the new regulation arises from several provisions. One exempts ships with oil fuel tanks inside their double hull, while another gives countries in Arctic waters the right to issue waivers from the HFO ban for vessels flying their respective flags in the Arctic until July 1, 2029. The Clean Arctic Alliance slammed on Friday the approval of “a ban ridden with loopholes on the use […]