New South Wales’s sulphur fuel requirements for cruise ships

June 16, 2015

The following submission is in support of the introduction by the state government of New South Wales in Australia of stricter sulphur content requirements in marine fuels used by cruise ships entering Sydney Harbour and berthed at the White Bay cruise ship terminal, aimed at reducing emissions. Residents living close to the terminal have been complaining about the effects of air pollution from cruise ships calling at the terminal and this lead to a public consultation.

Download the consultation response

T&E’s submission shows that international regulations are available and working to control harmful emissions from cruise ships and other oceangoing vessels. It also demonstrates that the EU has judged for public health reasons to go beyond IMO-agreed measures in some respects by exercising the right of port states under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea to set any reasonable requirements on ship port entry and to control compliance and enforce implementation.

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