The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), Port of Los Angeles (POLA), and Port of Long Beach (POLB), with the support of C40 Cities, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) today to establish a green and digital shipping corridor between Singapore and the San Pedro Bay port complex to support the decarbonisation of the maritime industry and improve efficiencies through digitalisation.
C40 is the facilitator of the green and digital shipping corridor, providing support to the cities, ports, and their corridor partners by coordinating, convening, facilitating, and providing communications support in furtherance of the corridor’s goals.
As leading global hub ports, Singapore, Los Angeles and Long Beach are vital nodes on the trans-Pacific shipping lane and key stakeholders in the maritime sector’s green transition. Ahead of the revision of the International Maritime Organization (IMO)’s Initial Strategy for the Reduction of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions from Ships in July 2023, the three ports will come together with C40 and other stakeholders in the maritime and energy value chains, to jointly accelerate the decarbonisation of the maritime industry in line with the goals of IMO, and Singapore’s and the United States’ respective Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
The green and digital shipping corridor aims to support the transition to low- and zero-emission fuels by ships calling at Singapore and the San Pedro Bay port complex. The parties will work to facilitate the supply and adoption of these fuels and explore the necessary infrastructure and regulations for bunkering. In addition to identifying and collaborating on pilot and demonstration projects, the MoU aims to identify digital shipping solutions and develop standards and best practices for green ports and the bunkering of alternative marine fuels, including sharing experiences at international platforms such as IMO.
MPA was established on 2 February 1996 with the mission to develop Singapore as a premier global hub port and international maritime centre, and to advance and safeguard Singapore’s strategic maritime interests.
In 2022, Singapore remained one of the world’s busiest transshipment hubs with a container throughput of 37.3 million 20-foot equivalent units (TEUs).
The Port of Los Angeles is North America’s trade gateway. In 2022, the Port facilitated $311 billion in trade and handled a total of 9.9 million container units, the second busiest calendar year in the Port’s 116-year history.
The Port of Long Beach handles trade valued at $200 billion annually. The Port had its second-busiest year ever in 2022, with 9.13 million twenty-foot equivalent units handled. During the next 10 years, the Port is planning $2.2 billion in capital improvements aimed at enhancing capacity, competitiveness and sustainability.
C40 is a network of nearly 100 mayors of the world’s leading cities who are working to deliver the urgent action needed right now to confront the climate crisis and create a future where everyone, everywhere can thrive. Mayors of C40 cities are committed to using a science-based and people-focused approach to help the world limit global heating to 1.5°C and build healthy, equitable and resilient communities. Through a Global Green New Deal, mayors are working alongside a broad coalition of representatives from labour, business, the youth climate movement and civil society to go further and faster than ever before. The current Chair of C40 is Mayor of London Sadiq Khan; and three-term Mayor of New York City Michael R. Bloomberg serves as President of the Board.