Port of LA incentivising ship operators to exceed emission reduction requirements

The Port of Los Angeles on Thursday announced it is expanding its rewards program for ship operators who do more than regulations require to reduce harmful ship emissions.

This measure is in accordance with actions by other ports that participate in the Environmental Ship Index (ESI) a port partnership program that started in northern European ports. LA is an ESI partner port.

ESI measures a ship’s emissions based on the amount if nitrogen oxide, sulphur oxide, particulate matter and greenhouse gas that it releases.

Operators earn points for how well they perform with 50 points or higher earning them cash grants from the port.

Now LA says that since July 1 it has been offering extra incentive points for reduced carbon dioxide emissions.

The ESI program was one of several strategies in the Port of LA’s dramatic reductions in vessel emissions from 2005 to 2015.