By Karen Robes Meeks
Mayors representing the nation’s two busiest seaports spoke Monday, June 12, 2017, of aggressive goals to invest in clear air technology and transition the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach toward zero emissions.
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia appeared at San Pedro’s downtown harbor to sign a joint declaration strengthening their commitment to the landmark Clean Air Action Plan, including plans to further lower at-berth emissions and start a zero emissions drayage truck pilot program in the coming 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,” Garcetti said. “I am proud to stand with my fellow Climate Mayor Robert Garcia today, as we renew our commitment to cleaning our air, and moving boldly toward our goal of zero emissions goods movement at the ports.”
Garcetti and Garcia are among the 292 mayors who are part of Climate Mayors, leaders who endorse adopting in their cities the goals set forth in the Paris Climate Agreement. The group, which Garcetti co-founded in 2014, has quadrupled since President Donald Trump recently announced plans to pull the US from the Paris agreement.
Garcetti and Garcia also launched a new Climate Mayors initiative called the Green Ports Collaborative, which would bring together cities and ports to establish 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 US.
“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,” Garcia said. “The success of our Ports has proven that you don’t have to choose between the environment and the economy. I look forward to working with Mayor Eric Garcetti and making our cities models for climate action.”
The twin ports, which generate $398 billion of economic activity annually, will announce a timeline and process for CAAP within 15 days, and complete the update of the plan by November. A CAAP Implementation Stakeholder Advisory Group made up of government, maritime, community and other stakeholders will be formed to oversee the 2017 update.
