Environment: Long Beach/Los Angeles
Long Beach and Los Angeles Mayors Set Zero Emissions Goals for San Pedro Bay Ports
Mayor Eric Garcetti and Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia are strengthening their pledge to make the twin ports of the San Pedro Bay global models for cleaner air, sustainability and innovation. They also reaffirmed their commitment to adopting the Paris Climate Agreement goals in their cities and highlighted the two ports’ critical role in achieving them.
The two mayors on June 12 signed a joint declaration that sets goals for the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach to make the transition to zero emissions in their Clean Air Action Plan (CAAP). The mayors also affirmed that the CAAP will include new investments in clean technology,
berth emission reductions, and a zero-emissions drayage truck pilot program.
"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," said Mayor Garcetti. "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."
"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," said Mayor Robert Garcia. "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 ports will release a detailed timeline and process for CAAP within 15 days, and fully complete the update by November.
Mayors Garcetti and Garcia also launched the Green Ports Collaborative, a new initiative led by the Climate Mayors. The goal is to bring cities and ports together — first along the West
Coast, and then across the United States — to create 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.
The San Pedro ports handled approximately a third of U.S. container traffic, generate $398 billion of economic activity annually, and support one out of every nine jobs in the region.