A new International Code for Ships Operating in Polar Waters, better known as the Polar Code, will officially come into effect on January 1st. The Code — an international regime that was agreed ...

“The Polar Code is a seminal and historic new regime for Arctic and Antarctic waters,” says Lawson Brigham, who specializes in polar policy at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

The polar code will lay out the structural requirements of vessels – such as ice-strengthened hulls – that navigate Arctic waters, as well set strict rules for as pollution prevention, safety ...