 (26)-x-large.webp)
Los Angeles and Shanghai have announced a partnership of cities, ports, shipping companies and a network of cargo owners to create a first-of-its-kind green shipping corridor on one of the world’s busiest container shipping routes.
Convened by C40 Cities and the ports of Shanghai and Los Angeles, and including key maritime stakeholders, this partnership has agreed to work on an initiative to establish a Green Shipping Corridor to decarbonize goods movement between the largest ports in the United States and China.
In a statement, Port of LA said the partnership intends to work together to achieve these goals by developing a "Green Shipping Corridor Implementation Plan" by the end of calendar year 2022 that will include deliverables, milestones, and roles for the partnership.
Key decarbonization goals for the Green Shipping Corridor partnership include:
- The phasing in of low, ultra-low, and zero carbon fuelled ships through the 2020s with the world’s first zero carbon trans-Pacific container ships introduced by 2030 by qualified and willing shipping lines;
- The development of best management practices to help reduce emissions and improve efficiency for all ships using this international trade corridor;
- Reducing supply chain emissions from port operations, improving air quality in the ports of Shanghai and Los Angeles and adjacent communities.
Port of LA noted that participating partners include A.P. Moller – Maersk, CMA CGM, Shanghai International Ports Group (SIPG), COSCO Shipping Lines, the Aspen Institute’s Shipping Decarbonization Initiative, facilitators of Cargo Owners for Zero Emission Vessels (coZEV), and the Maritime Technology Cooperation Centre in Asia.
"International collaboration is essential to decarbonize global supply chains. We look forward to partnering with the Shanghai Municipal Transportation Commission, the Shanghai International Port Group, leading shipping lines and major cargo owners to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the maritime supply chain. It's time to get started on this important work," said Gene Seroka, executive director, Port of Los Angeles.
Mark Watts, Executive Director of C40 Cities, for his part said "accelerating efforts to decarbonise the shipping sector is urgent if we are to limit global heating to 1.5 degrees."
"By convening international coalitions of the willing and creating a scalable and replicable model for other cities to follow we hope this ground-breaking green shipping corridor initiative will catalyze action on a global scale," he added.
Port of LA added that the two ports and industry partners, including shipping lines, and cargo owners in China and the United States have committed to deliver an implementation plan for the green corridor by the end of 2022 that will provide an outline for how they will continue to decarbonize this key maritime shipping corridor.
