Long Beach Honors Shipping Lines for Green Leadership

Twenty shipping lines were honored by the Port of Long Beach on May 30 for their efforts to improve air quality locally by slowing down or deploying cleaner vessels – or both.

In 2012, seven years after the port’s Green Flag Program was created, almost 96 percent of all ships calling at Long Beach slowed to 12 knots within 20 nautical miles of the port. In 2009, the port added the 40 nautical mile option; last year, more than 83 percent of vessels slowed from 40 nautical miles. Slower ships burn less fuel, producing less pollution. Thirteen shipping lines were found to be top performers, earning Green Flags this year.

Ten shipping lines received the first Green Ship awards, a program that since July 2012 has encouraged vessel operators to assign the cleanest ships to Long Beach. Three of the companies collected both Green Flags and Green Ship awards.

These programs offer financial incentives. Green Flag participants were awarded $2.5 million in dockage fee discounts in 2012. Since the Green Ship Program began in July 2012, the port has awarded $135,000 in incentives.

More than 200 vessel operators have been awarded Green Flags and qualified for reductions on dockage fees since the ship-slowing program begin in 2005. The port credits the program for helping cut diesel pollution from all port-related operations by 75 percent.

American Association of Port Authorities
Asociación Americana de Autoridades Portuarias
1201 Maryland Ave SW, Suite 860, Washington, D.C. 20024
E: info@aapa-ports.org
W: www.aapa-ports.org