The Polar Code will affect the design of thousands of merchant and passengerships trading in the Arctic and Antarctic.

A study of Arctic shipping from 2010 to 2014 identified more than 11,000 ships operating in the region. Most were supply, research and fishing vessels, but the list included 1,892 cargoships, 524 tankers and 308 passenger vessels.

The study found that Arctic shipping alone accounts for 9.3%