Analysis: How low-sulphur shipping rules are affecting global warming - Carbon Brief
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Carbon Brief analyses the likely side-effects of regulations to reduce the sulphur content of marine fuels.

The unintentional consequence of lowering sulphur content in marine fuel, as part of clean air regulations, is a weakened cooling effect caused by sulphur particles in ships’ exhaust fumes, according to a new model. This inadvertently exacerbates warming, potentially raising global temperatures by 0.05C by 2050. Other factors, including an underwater volcano eruption, Saharan dust absence, and El Niño, are also contributing to the ongoing ocean heatwave.

  • GreatAlbatrossAEnglish
    3·
    1 year ago

    It’s a similar situation to reducing the CO emissions of cars, meaning you produce more CO2.

    When the health benefits outweigh the costs (and ideally, allow us to work on reducing the fossil fuel used altogether), it comes out as a net positive.

    And as we’ve seen with cars, improving efficiency has offset the increases with time.

    And not to mention that the bulk of the emissions happen when ships are in international waters, and burning bunker oil.