Pre- and Post-Pandemic Periods Ship Emissions in the Strait of Malacca and Singapore

Abstract Ship emissions have been perceived as the main contributors of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in coming years. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, shipping sector faced disruptions and had been reported with declined emissions. The transition of ship emissions through the pandemic showed possible environmental recovery and initiated further analysis on the effect of such black swan event for the maritime industry. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the difference of ship emission trend during different periods of Covid-19 pandemic based on Automatic Identification System (AIS) data collected from Strait of Malacca and Singapore (SOMAS). Based on a comparative analysis of ship emissions between 2019 to 2023, which represents different periods of the pandemic (pre-, peri- and post-pandemic), the relationship of ship activities and emissions are reassessed to validate with past studies. Methodologies for Estimating air pollutant Emissions from Transport (MEET) framework as recommended by European Union (EU) guidelines is used to process the AIS data for the computation of emission inventories. The results show downward trends at the beginning of pandemic and a retaliatory growth after relaxation from movement restrictions. From these assessments, the idea of improvising resilience of maritime activities in times of Black Swan events is further discussed.