Ports of Los Angeles and Shanghai to launch trans-Pacific green corridor
The ports of Los Angeles and Shanghai, together with the C40 Cities coalition, aim to introduce an implementation plan for the green corridor by the end of this year.
PHOTO: Afternoon aerial view of the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles in southern California, US. Getty Images
Under the initiative, the ports aim to make strides towards decarbonising cargo shipping between the US and China, and also cut emissions from operations in port.
They seek to bring ships powered by zero-carbon fuels into operation on the trans-Pacific cargo route by 2030, including the world's first zero-carbon container ships.
The C40 Cities collective comprises mayors of 100 cities from around the world, collaborating to limit global warming to 1.5°C above preindustrial levels and in line with Paris Agreement goals.
Shipping companies Maersk and CMA CGM, the Shanghai International Ports Group and COSCO Shipping Lines are part of the green corridor initiative.
They are also joined by the Aspen Institute, which was instrumental in setting up the Cargo Owners for Zero Emission Vessels (coZEV) consortium last year. The consortium pledged a move to zero carbon shipping by 2040, with backing from Amazon, IKEA, Unilever and other freight heavyweights announced in October.
Green aspirations peaked in the lead-up to COP26 in November, when the US, UK, and 20 other countries signed the Clydebank Declaration to support six zero emission maritime routes between two or more ports by 2025.
