The International Marine Organisation (IMO) is
a specialised body of the United Nations responsible for the safety
and security of global shipping, as well as regulation of pollution
in marine environments. In May 2015, the IMO formally adopted the
International Code for Ships Operating in Polar Waters (the
Polar Code). This mandatory code comes into
operation from 1 January 2017 for vessels constructed after that
date and after 1 January 2018 for pre-existing vessels.
In the following Alert, Partner Karen Browne provides an
outline, and discusses the implications of the Polar Code.
Increased Shipping Activity in Polar Regions
According to claims by some climate change scientists, as
climate change leads to gradual warming of the earth's
atmosphere, the polar ice caps have gradually retracted. In 2012,
the Arctic Circle recorded the lowest level of sea ice since
satellite monitoring began in 1979. The breakdown of multi-year ice
has led to the opening of
