Shipping and the atmosphere. An analysis of the international regulation of air pollution from ships

The shipping industry has experienced a massive growth since the mid-90s onward but the addressing of the environmental impact of its atmospheric emissions has not had such a speedy development. The shipping industry emits substances that are harmful in a cumulative way. These substances affect the marine and terrestrial environment as well as populations across the globe. Sulphur and nitrogen oxides, carbon dioxide and other substances are responsible for, among other effects, ocean acidification and climate change. This thesis explains how the IMO came to regulate the atmospheric emissions from shipping, what is the current framework for its regulation and what are the difficulties and complexities associated with it in order to evaluate the regulatory efforts made to date. The analysis of the role of the Law of the Sea Convention and the International Maritime Organization’s instruments in addressing air pollution from international shipping constitutes the core of this thesis. The instruments are analyzed with regard to their context, the effectiveness of the regime they create and the interactions with other international regimes regarding environmental protection