Long Beach to become a zero emissions port city

The port city of Long Beach in California, the second busiest container port in the US, has taken the country’s top climate protection award for its efforts to eventually reduce greenhouse gas emissions to zero.

“Long Beach is incredibly aware of our position as a coastal city,” explained Robert Garcia, Mayor of Long Beach on accepting the award during the US Conference of Mayors Summer meeting in Miami Beach. “By enacting zero-emissions port and bus programmes, integrating green technology into city design, and investing in multi-modal transport, we’ve built a robust economy while also reducing our emissions, proving that you don’t to choose between the economy and the environment.”

The port provides one in eight jobs for city residents. Garcia outlined how that by becoming greener the city is also helping retrain dock workers to control the technology and become engineers and mechanical drivers.

The newly redeveloped Middle Harbour terminal now includes autonomous zero emission vehicles which Garcia says has helped the terminal to be the greenest in North America. By 2020 the terminal will shift 3.5 million TEUs (20 foot equivalent units) at 50 percent less emissions compared to 10 years ago. Other steps include enforcing all ships from 74 kilometres off the coast to slow down to 22 km/h which has helped reduce sulphur emissions.

Ships are also required to ‘power down’ while docked and plug into the city’s electricity grid, allowing the ships to turn off engines and cut pollution being pumped into the air in communities that surround the port.

“Cities and businesses are together in climate protection, embracing strategies that reduce waste and inefficiency, while saving money and the planet,” Maggie Sans, Vice President, Community Relations for Walmart, partner of the awards. “We congratulate these mayors and many others for their leadership and innovation.”

Celebrating its 11^th anniversary, the awards recognise mayors for their energy and climate protection efforts, selected by an independent panel of judges from a pool of mayoral applicants. Other winners include Newton, Miami Beach, Cleveland asnd Columbia.