Innovative Solutions for mitigating the environmental impact of waterborne transport in marine and aquatic Ecosystems (ZEWT Partnership)

Expected Outcome:Project results are expected to contribute to all of the following expected outcomes.Improved water resilience and good environmental and good ecological status in European waters and contribute to the achievement of the European Union's environmental targets, including the European Water Resilience Strategy and the European Ocean Pact. A comprehensive understanding of the future environmental impacts of waterborne transport on marine and other aquatic ecosystems, addressing in particular pollution sources from: i) navigation on renewable low and zero-carbon fuels; and ii) accidental spills of renewable low and zero-carbon fuels for marine waters, inland waters and ports (water and air quality).Innovative prevention, abatement and mitigation systems and strategies for reducing and eliminating the harmful impacts of waterborne transport on waters.Enhanced pollution prevention and mitigation in marine waters, inland waterways and port areas, reducing the likelihood and impact of accidents involving renewable low and zero-carbon fuels. Scope:The European Union aims to protect and conserve its marine and freshwater environments by achieving Good Environmental and Good Ecological Status[1]. The European Water Resilience Strategy and the European Ocean Pact further emphasize the need to enhance the resilience of European waters to human-induced pressures. Projects like the Horizon Europe EMERGE have researched the impacts of shipping on marine ecosystems. The introduction of technologies to decarbonize the sector may enable, to a certain extent, to phase-out relevant current sources of water and air pollution. However, renewable low and zero-carbon fuels and procedures pose new risks to marine and other aquatic ecosystems like rivers and lakes yet to be explored and addressed, both from the normal function of waterborne transport[2] and from accidental spills of renewable low and zero-carbon fuels. In addition, other pollution sources can be addressed tod