Briefing About the Polar Code: Gaps and Challenges

This webinar took place on Tuesday, July 12th at 8.30am PT / 17.30pm CET

Speaker:
Dr Sian Prior: A specialist in interpretation of marine science to support conservation and management policy. She has over 30 years of experience of contributing to international and regional marine management and conservation frameworks including the International Maritime Organization and the Arctic Council.

About the webinar:
It has been over five years since the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Polar Code came into force.

However, as Arctic Sea ice is at all-time lows in terms of sea ice extents and ice volumes, new shipping routes are opening up, bringing more vessels into the region. The risks for the Arctic environment have never been higher. WWF believes that it is timely to consider Polar Code’s implementation and opportunities for improvement.

In 2021, WWF’s Arctic Programme conducted a review to identify gaps and challenges in implementing the Polar Code. It revealed that the code does not go far enough in preventing potential catastrophic consequences for marine life from shipping in Arctic waters. This briefing sets out the findings of WWF’s recently published report on this matter (Improving the Polar Code to better protect Arctic waters) and invites to a discussion on potential solutions.

This webinar briefing is aimed at all those with an interest and/or involvement in polar shipping and the implementation of the IMO’s Polar Code including:

- Delegates to the IMO
- Certification bodies
- P&I bodies
- Naval architects and engineers
- Shipping companies operating in polar regions
- Environmental non-governmental organizations
- Those involved in polar training centers
- Academics