Air Pollution

Air pollution from ships covers sulphur oxides, nitrogen oxides, particulate matter, volatile organic compounds, and ozone-depleting substances, all regulated under MARPOL Annex VI. Annex VI was adopted by the 1997 Protocol and entered into force on 19 May 2005, then was revised by MEPC.176(58) effective 1 July 2010. It sets the SOx fuel cap in Regulation 14, NOx engine limits in Regulation 13, and the VOC and ODS controls in Regulations 12 and 15. The 2011 amendments under MEPC.203(62) added Chapter 4 on energy efficiency, extending the air-quality mandate to ship CO2 intensity.