The Canadian arm of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has become the latest organization to come out against the use of scrubbers.
In a post on its website the world’s largest independent conservation organization called on Canadian authorities to ban their use in local waters.
"The use of scrubbers can increase the emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) from ships by about 2% per vessel because it takes more energy, and therefore fuel, to operate the scrubbers, including the pumps for collecting water from the ocean for scrubber fluid," it said.
“Canada needs to take bold action by not allowing scrubbers as an equivalent compliance mechanism for reducing fuel sulphur content, meaning a shift to cleaner marine fuel."
More broadly, WWF Canada said the country needs a plan and strategy to "phase out hazardous and polluting ship fuels, like heavy fuel oil".
“Decarbonizing the shipping industry and addressing the climate crisis can’t be achieved by prolonging the use of some of the world’s worst shipping fuels," it said.
“Scrubbers not only delay the reality of zero-emission shipping, but pollute the ocean and harm a food source for many coastal communities.”
