Shenzhen, Long Beach Ports, South Coast AQMD Sign Green Framework

LONG BEACH — The Port of Long Beach, Shenzhen Port Group, Hutchison Ports YANTIAN (YANTIAN), South Coast Air Quality Management District (South Coast AQMD) and the North American Representative Office of Shenzhen, Sept. 22 in Shenzhen, China, signed a memorandum of cooperation to collaborate on decarbonizing ocean trade and inspire other similar efforts to build a green maritime economy around the Pacific Rim.

The memorandum establishes a framework to support coordination of technical exchanges and programs, initiate shared efforts to deploy clean technologies, promote sustainable infrastructure development within the maritime industry and promote economic development prioritizing sustainability and public health.

Potential collaborations may include maritime technology demonstration projects, programs to attract cleaner oceangoing vessels — because vessels are a key contributor to emissions associated with international trade — and information exchanges conducted through virtual meetings and regional workshops.

“One of the most important parts of strategic partnerships like this is the ability to target shipborne emissions, a source we have little power to regulate as a local port authority,” said Port of Long Beach CEO Mario Cordero. “We see the potential for this agreement to make fleets cleaner sooner. The technologies and practices we develop through this agreement also have the potential to have a positive impact on the environment and economies far beyond our two ports and cities.”

The memorandum will also explore the possibility of a Sister Ports Agreement between the Port of Long Beach, which handled 8 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) in 2023, and YANTIAN, which is one of the world’s largest container terminals run by a single operator.