A UK clean transport think tank has released a report claiming that pollution from shipping is “choking” ports across the country. The report showed that Milford Haven in Wales was the most polluted port, followed by Immingham in Lincolnshire and Southampton. According to the report, ships in Milford Haven produced nearly 100 times more harmful sulphur oxides (SOx) than all 67,000 cars in Pembrokeshire in 2022.
Around 74,000kg of SOx, from 472 ships, were produced in Milford Haven, compared with 51,000kg from 938 ships in Immingham. In Southampton, the study claimed that 46 out of 6% of vessels stopping in the port produced more SOx than 200 container ships. The UK sustainable shipping manager at Transport and Environment (T&E) stated that ports were being affected by the harmful fumes caused by the shipping industry that, due to years of government inactivity, has no motivation to change.
T&E has called for the UK’s government to develop an updated Clean Maritime Plan. The plan should include a switch away from fossil fuels and binding targets for zero-emission technologies. ABP, which operates some of the UK’s major ports, stated that it was “working incredibly hard” to cut emissions, had already lowered carbon dioxide emissions by 34% since 2015 and was committed to investing in clean technologies. Air quality was closely monitored by ABP to ensure levels were “well within” the local authority limits and national objectives.
The Port of Milford Haven also argued that it was taking steps to reduce emissions and move towards a net-zero future. The British Ports Association agreed that the industry had ambitious net-zero targets that would lead to a positive impact on air quality. However, it called into question the report’s methodology, contending that emissions from ports were a “fraction” of background emissions in most cities. The association’s policy director, Mark Simmonds, accused T&E of failing to provide critical context in its report
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More