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January 2011 www.sname.org/sname/mt following discussions at the IMO in London. It was agreed that a single, common set of rules for polar navigation was needed to replace the several state and classication society rule sets for the Arctic and to ll the void of rules for the Antarctic that existed at that time. A straightforward task, it was thought, as the proponents understood the gaps, the various rules had aspects in com- mon, and the technical issues were known. Almost two decades and a great deal of work later, we may be getting close to achiev- ing the ultimate goal of mandatory rules. Ideally, these will be in place before the next big upswing in polar shipping. Although cooled somewhat in the last couple of years by the global recession, inter- est in polar navigation is again heating up. Mining companies, oil and gas consortia, and the cruise industry, acutely aware of the rich storehouse of natural beauty and resources, have taken note of the increased accessibility of polar waters. Reduction in sea ice cover has even rekindled the centuries-long interest in a shorter route between Europe and Asia via the Arctic. (For more information on sea routes through the polar regions, see Arctic Transit? on page 34 of this issue.) Development in general is largely pred- icated on efficient shipping. Sustainable development, however, requires much more than simple eciency. Indigenous popu- lations in the Arctic today still rely on the sea as source of food. Harvesting sh and marine mammals and travel on the ice are important parts of these cultures. Ensuring that Inuit populations can continue this life- style well into the future, and protecting the environment of the Antarctic, are responsi- bilities that Arctic coastal states and parties to the Antarctic Treaty take seriously. e Polar Code is intended to address the questions surrounding sustainable develop- ment, safety, and pollution prevention. Its development involves not only regulators, but a variety of other stakeholders from industry, environmental organizations, and other interested parties worldwide. The mandatory Polar Code Early in the development of the Polar Code, it was agreed to split the eort into two main bodies of related work. The International Association of Classication Societies (IACS) was to develop require- ments for vessel construction and machinery, while IMO instruments would carry rules for the remaining issues, which would incorporate the IACS Requirements by reference. Work in these two areas was linked by designating a set of polar classes, as shown in Table 1. In this unique manner, the collaborative work resulted in the IMO Arctic Guidelines (2002), later updated to the IMO Polar Guidelines (2009). In 2008, IACS published the Unied Requirements Concerning Polar Class , while work to develop a mandatory Polar Code continues on the remaining issues at IMO within the Marine Safety Committee- Design and Equipment Working Group. The uni?ed requirements Technical experts from companies operat- ing in polar waters, consultants, and yards building ice-class ships teamed up with classication societies, scientists, academ- ics, and regulators to develop transparent, science-based design requirements for vessels operating in polar ice conditions. By sharing their experience and knowl- edge, industry representatives highlighted weaknesses in design concepts current at the time. Concerted, combined eort over the course of ve years resulted in the adop- tion of certain basic principles. Extensive use was made of the knowledge and expe- rience gained in Canada and the Russian Federation, as well as expertise from the Finnish-Swedish Baltic rules. Ice load calculations in the IACS unied requirements are based on tested and proven ice mechanics, while structural design is based on plastic response, both at the design point and to help ensure robust performance in accidental overload conditions. The IACS unified requirements will continue to evolve. Innovation that results in efficiencies for safe operations is the objective of much of the research and devel- opment (R&D) undertaken by private- and publicly-traded companies. Governments and industry associations find solutions to common problems and particular risks through R&D. e bottom line is that partici- pation is essential by all interested parties in the development and ongoing improvement of the rules, as well as the implementation of rules and best practices. Evolution of the Polar Code In 2002, IMO adopted the parallel work, but implemented this as guidelines rather than mandatory provisions. is was still a major step forward, but moving immediately to embrace a mandatory Polar Code was a step too far for universal acceptance by the inter- national marine community. Since then, many things have changed. Eco-tourism has increased in both polar regions, non-government organizations and indigenous groups have increased the profile of environmental protection, and the intergovernmental Arctic Council has issued the Arctic Marine Shipping Assessment with its own recommendations for increased infrastructure and improved rules. Ice cover is at record low levels, rais- ing the potential for increased shipping. In addition, a number of high-prole shipping incidents have taken place in polar waters. In December 2009, the IMO adopted Guidelines for Ships Operating in Polar Waters . is was a signicant advancement from the 2002 IMO Arctic guidelines in that Table 1. Polar classes Polar class General Description PC 1 Year-round operation in all ice- covered waters PC 2 Year-round operation in moderate multi-year ice conditions PC 3 Year-round operation in second- year ice which may include multi- year ice inclusions PC 4 Year-round operation in thick ?rst- year ice which may include old ice inclusionsPC 5 Year-round operation in medium ?rst-year ice which may include old ice inclusions PC 6 Summer/autumn operation in medium ?rst-year ice which may include old ice inclusions PC 7 Summer/autumn operation in thin ?rst-year ice which may include old ice inclusions Note: Ice descriptions follow the World Meteorological Organizations Sea Ice Nomenclature. TOWARD A POLAR CODE