Emission control area

[5] The regulations stems from concerns about "local and global air pollution and environmental problems" in regard to the shipping industry's contribution.

In 1972 with the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, widespread concerns about air pollution led to international cooperation.

The purpose of the protocol was to reduce and to control the emissions coming from the marine vessels’ exhausts that pollute the environment.

[10] On the other hand, MARPOL came up with a way to avoid using an exhaust gas cleaning systems or anything else that would limit SOx emissions.

According to The Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) the worldwide average sulfur content in fuel oils for 2004 was 2.67 %m/m.

These emission reductions have been achieved through the use of advanced exhaust gas aftertreatment technologies, with most Tier 4 engine families using urea-SCR catalysts with a Diesel exhaust fluid for NOx control and optionally a particulate filter[15] Annex VI prohibits burning certain products aboard the ship.

The Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) has strongly encouraged members to use the scheme to report the greenhouse gas emissions.

Those gases include carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, and sulfur hexafluoride.

[12] In 2013 new regulations described in a chapter added to the MARPOL Annex VI came into effect in order to improve "energy efficiency of international shipping".

[12] As with road vehicles adding large battery packs would add further benefits such as stabilising electrical systems, sailing with the engines off, plugging into the local grid when docked and the ability to visit places such as the heritage fjords in Norway (which require 100% emission-free sailing from 2026)[18] As well as reducing and/or cleaning diesel fumes alternative fuels maybe an option such as LNG[19]