A U.S. study says emissions that cause both climate change and acid rain could increase in the Western Arctic by as much as 600 per cent over the next decade.
The emissions include soot from ships, one of the most important factors in warming the Arctic.
The International Council on Clean Transportation used information it developed for the U.S. government to reach the conclusions.
Co-author Alyson Azzara said emissions could be greatly reduced if Canada and the United States agreed to use low-sulphur fuel in the Arctic.
The study looked specifically at Alaskan waters, but Azzara says the findings also apply to Canada.
She says emissions drift across borders and ships producing emissions in American waters will also produce them in Canada's.
