A loss of Arctic summer sea ice is already leading to increased shipping in the Arctic during the summer months and is expected to provoke dramatic increases in volumes of goods being shipped on the Northern Sea Route.
As sea ice melts and opening Arctic waters further, even larger non-Arctic state-flagged vessels are likely to divert to Arctic routes in search of shorter journey times in order to save costs.
Combined with an increase in Arctic States targeting previously non-accessible resources such as oil and gas, more vessels operating in Arctic waters will increase the risk of HFO spills and lead to higher emissions of black carbon into the Arctic atmosphere.
