The Clean Arctic Alliance has raised concerns over growing commercial shipping on the Northern Sea Route, warning of increased black carbon, methane, pollution and biodiversity risks in the Arctic. The group highlighted the reported Arctic voyage of the Dubai Tower from China to Europe and urged ships to follow IMO environmental regulations. It is also calling for a new IMO polar fuel standard requiring cleaner fuels to reduce black carbon emissions and protect Arctic ecosystems and communities.
Europe | August 18, 2026 – The Clean Arctic Alliance has raised concerns over growing commercial interest in the Northern Sea Route following reports that the Liberian-flagged container vessel Dubai Tower has departed Ningbo, China, for a voyage across the Arctic to Europe.
The environmental coalition also said South Korea’s PanStar has purchased a vessel for an imminent Arctic crossing, developments it says highlight the need for stronger measures to limit shipping pollution and climate impacts in the region.
Dr. Sian Prior, Lead Advisor to the Clean Arctic Alliance, said increased commercial shipping through the Arctic could bring higher levels of climate pollution, marine pollution and biodiversity loss, with consequences for Arctic Indigenous communities and wildlife.
“The Clean Arctic Alliance is seriously concerned about the interest in the Northern Sea Route as a regular trade route and the consequences for the Arctic, Indigenous communities and wildlife,” Prior said. “Increased commercial shipping activity will lead to increased climate impacts, increased pollution and increased loss of biodiversity.”
Black carbon emissions a key concern
The alliance identified black carbon, a short-lived climate pollutant produced by the combustion of fossil fuels, as a particular concern for Arctic shipping. According to the organisation, black carbon deposited on snow and ice can accelerate melting, contributing to the loss of sea ice and land ice.
“Arctic sea ice acts as the planet’s refrigerator, controlling the planet’s temperature,” Prior said, adding that Arctic sea-ice extent was currently among the eight lowest on record, with about a month remaining before the autumn equinox.
The group also rejected liquefied natural gas (LNG) as a suitable alternative fuel for Arctic shipping, citing methane emissions throughout the fuel’s lifecycle. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas and short-lived climate forcer. The Clean Arctic Alliance further warned that oil and wastewater discharges, along with increased underwater noise from shipping, could affect Arctic marine ecosystems and communities that depend on marine resources.
Dubai Tower expected to continue to Europe
According to media reports cited by the alliance, the Dubai Tower, operated by Chinese company Sea Legend, is expected to arrive at the UK port of Felixstowe on September 7. The vessel is then expected to call at Hamburg, Germany, and Gdynia, Poland.
The voyage comes amid renewed interest in the Northern Sea Route as an alternative shipping corridor between Asia and Europe, particularly as changing Arctic ice conditions create longer seasonal navigation windows.
The Clean Arctic Alliance said vessels using the route should strictly comply with international regulations and guidance adopted by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), including measures encouraging the use of cleaner distillate or alternative fuels with lower black carbon emissions.
Alliance calls for stronger IMO rules
The organisation welcomed recent IMO measures aimed at reducing pollution from shipping in Arctic waters, including restrictions on the use of heavy fuel oil in the Arctic and the designation of the Northeast Atlantic Emission Control Area, adopted by the IMO on May 1.
However, Prior said the measures do not go far enough to address black carbon.
She argued that ships can continue using certain residual fuel oils in areas outside the Arctic heavy-fuel-oil restrictions and can use scrubbers or ultra-low-sulphur fuel oils to meet sulphur requirements in emission control areas.
“These regulations will not reduce black carbon emissions to the same low levels that using polar fuels can do,” Prior said.
Push for an IMO polar fuel standard
A proposal on polar fuels, co-sponsored by Denmark, Germany, France and the Solomon Islands, is currently before the IMO, according to the Clean Arctic Alliance.
The group is calling on Arctic states and other IMO members to support the proposal, which would establish stricter fuel requirements for ships operating in Arctic waters.
Under the proposed approach, ships would be required to use cleaner distillate fuels such as marine gas oil (MGO), as well as emerging zero-carbon fuels. It would also prevent the use of ultra-low-sulphur fuel oils and heavy fuel oils with scrubbers where those fuels would otherwise remain permissible under existing emission-control rules.
The alliance said the proposed standard should cover the wider Arctic area used as the basis for the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP) of the Arctic Council.
Prior said this would help create a level playing field across the Arctic, noting that black carbon can travel hundreds or even thousands of kilometres through the atmosphere before being deposited on Arctic snow and ice.
The Clean Arctic Alliance argues that a dedicated polar fuel standard would close a gap in the IMO’s existing regulatory framework by directly targeting black carbon emissions from shipping.
The organisation is calling on Arctic and other states to support the proposed measure as commercial interest in Arctic shipping routes continues to grow.
About the Clean Arctic Alliance
The Clean Arctic Alliance is a coalition of 24 not-for-profit organizations campaigning for stronger international action to protect the Arctic, its people, and its wildlife from the impacts of shipping and industrial pollution.
Member organizations include: Alaska Wilderness League, Bellona, Clean Air Task Force, ECODES, Environmental Investigation Agency, Equal Routes, Friends of the Earth US, Greenpeace, Ocean Conservancy, Pacific Environment, Seas At Risk, Stand.Earth, Transport & Environment, WWF, and others.
Source: Clean Arctic Alliance