By
Laura Hyde |
The Norwegian government is introducing zero-emission requirements for passenger vessels sailing in its five Unesco World Heritage fjords from 1 January 2026. The rule will initially apply to vessels under 10,000gt – which are primarily sightseeing ships and passenger ferries – but will come into force for larger ships from 1 January 2032.
The phased introduction is necessary to enable Norway to continue welcoming visits from larger cruise ships, which contribute significantly to Norway’s tourism revenue and do not yet have access to the technology to operate with zero emissions.
The county municipality’s scheduled boats will be exempt from the zero-emission requirement until further notice.
The Unesco World Heritage fjords include Nærøyfjord, Aurlandsfjord, Geirangerfjord, Sunnylvsfjord and Tafjord. Vessels will also be required to use shore power when calling at ports in these fjords. The village of Flåm, which sits at the end of Aurlandsfjord in southwestern Norway, will receive funding for shore power facilities from The Storting.
“The goal is to take care of the spectacular fjords and create sustainable tourism,” said Andreas Bjelland Eriksen, Norway’s minister of climate and environment. “The requirement for zero emissions will contribute to technology development, lower emissions and safeguard the world heritage fjords as attractive tourist destinations. It has been important for me to find a solution that follows up on the Storting’s decision on zero emissions in the world heritage fjords, stimulates technology development, takes into account tourism in the ports of call and provides sufficient predictability for the industry. I believe we have now succeeded.”