Ports of Singapore, Los Angeles and Long Beach to establish green and digital shipping corridor
The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), Port of Los Angeles, Port of Long Beach and C40 Cities – a global network of mayors taking action to confront the climate crisis – have begun discussions to establish a green and digital shipping corridor between Singapore and the San Pedro Bay port complex. The corridor will focus on low- and zero-carbon fuels for bunkering, as well as digital tools to support deployment of low- and zero-carbon ships.
This collaborative effort supports the Green Shipping Challenge launched during the World Leaders’ Summit at the 27th UN Climate Change Conference (COP27) in Egypt this week. The Green Shipping Challenge encourages governments, ports, maritime carriers, cargo owners and others in the shipping value chain to commit to concrete steps at COP27 to galvanise global action to decarbonise the shipping industry.
As hub ports, Singapore, Los Angeles and Long Beach are important nodes on the trans-Pacific shipping lanes. The three ports and C40 Cities will work closely with other stakeholders in the maritime and energy value chains to accelerate the deployment of low- and zero-carbon emission solutions, identify digital shipping programmes and develop green fuel sources for bunkering to support efficient cargo movement. In addition to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the green and digital shipping corridor aims to catalyse investment in green infrastructure, including zero-carbon energy hubs linked to port and shipping demand.
Mr Teo Eng Dih, Chief Executive of MPA, said, “The trans-Pacific corridor is one of the busiest trade routes in the world. MPA is pleased to support the development of a green and digital shipping corridor with the USA through the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach, given their strong connectivity and existing initiatives with C40 Cities. Through this corridor, we hope to support the decarbonisation of global supply chains, complementing efforts undertaken by the industry and the International Maritime Organization to drive the decarbonisation and digital transition for international shipping.”
The ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles, along with C40 Cities, announced earlier this year the creation of a green corridor with the Port of Shanghai.
The US State Department made three announcements on Monday related to the development of green corridors.
The US and the Republic of Korea will undertake a feasibility study to explore the potential of creating a green shipping corridor between major cargo ports in the two countries. The US and Canada will host consultations with ports and other stakeholders with the goal of facilitating the establishment of a Great Lakes Green Shipping Corridor Network. The US and the UK will launch a US-UK green shipping corridor task force to collaborate on R&D and demonstration projects.
