The 1996 "London Protocol" covering the dumping of wastes at sea entered into force ten years ago today (24th March). The Protocol modernized the original “London Convention” dumping treaty, bringing in a so-called “precautionary approach” that heralded a new era of prohibition of all dumping at sea with the exception of wastes commonly agreed by Governments and then put on an approved list. Find out more in our information leaflet.
Notably, those party to the Protocol adopted amendments in 2006 and 2009 to allow carbon storage and capture in some seabed geological formations – with the aim of mitigating the impacts of increasing concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and to ensure that new technologies with the potential to cause harm to the marine environment are effectively controlled and regulated.