San Pedro Bay ports announce zero emissions goals

The mayors of Long Beach and Los Angeles ports have signed a joint declaration setting ambitious goals for the ports to make the  transition to zero emissions in their Clean Air Action Plan (CAAP). They reaffirmed their commitment to adopting the Paris Climate Agreement goals in their cities, and highlighted the two ports’ critical role in achieving them.

The two mayors also declared that the CAAP will include new investments in clean technology, expanding at-berth emission reductions, and launching a zero emissions drayage truck pilot program in the next few years.

“Our ports are the engines that power our economy — they must also be the forces that drive our region toward a greener, more sustainable future,” said Mayor of Los Angeles Eric Garcetti.

“With the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach ranked as the nation’s two largest ports, it is crucial to double down on our commitment to combating climate change by achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement and by committing to zero emissions goals for the Clean Air Action Plan,” said Mayor of Long Beach Robert Garcia.

Mayors Garcetti and Garcia also launched the Green Ports Collaborative, a new initiative led by the Climate Mayors. The program will bring cities and ports together — first along the West Coast, and then across America — to create shared environmental standards, demonstrate future demand for zero emissions equipment and trucks, work with manufacturers to produce the vehicles and technologies needed, and take other collaborative action to green ports across the country.

The Mayors’ declaration also puts in place a CAAP Implementation Stakeholder Advisory Group, which will bring together key stakeholders — including government, maritime industry, utility and community leaders — to oversee the implementation of the 2017 update. The Stakeholder Advisory Group is modeled in part on the Port of Los Angeles’ Sustainable Freight Advisory Committee.