The Port of Long Beach, one of North America's busiest cargo hubs, continues to meet its long-term air emissions targets, with cargo moving cleaner than ever on per-container basis.

The port said it exceeded its air quality targets last year, despite handling a record volume of cargo, according to an annual emissions study tied to trade activity.

 
"The 2024 annual emissions inventory found the Port's aggressive actions to curb environmental impacts from operations have cut diesel particulates by 90%, nitrogen oxides by 68% and sulfur oxides by 98% since 2005, the baseline year which emissions are measured against," Port of Long Beach said in the announcement.

It added that on the other hand, cargo increased 44% between 2005 and 2024.

While the Port continues to exceed goals set in the 2010 Clean Air Action Plan (CAAP) to achieve by 2023 – emission reductions of 77% for diesel particulates, 59% for nitrogen oxides and 93% for sulfur oxides – some categories of emissions increased in the short term, from 2023 to 2024.

It noted that year-over-year, diesel soot and nitrogen oxides rose by 23% and 12%, respectively. Sulfur oxides decreased 2%.

Port of Long Beach said the primary factor impacting emissions was the record 9.6 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs) of container cargo handled in 2024, 20.3% more than the prior year.

Additionally, the port included dredging boats in the inventory for the first time, which increased harbor craft emissions but provides additional transparency and accountability for port-related sources.
 
Since the 2017 CAAP Update, the port has reduced diesel soot by 4%, nitrogen oxides by 27% and sulfur oxides by 21%.

On a per-container basis, the port is moving cargo cleaner than ever, with per-TEU emissions of diesel particulates reduced by 25%, nitrogen oxides 43% and sulfur oxides 39% since 2017.

"Good jobs and economic development don't have to come at the cost of environmental sustainability," said Frank Colonna, president at Long Beach Harbor Commission.

“The results prove that – last year we had historic volumes while at the same time moving these containers more efficiently than ever. There is more to accomplish, but at this moment we would like to thank our tenants, harbor workforce and industry partners because our air quality gains wouldn’t be possible without their collaboration.”

 
Port of Long Beach CEO Mario Cordero noted that when the port started this sustainability journey two decades ago, it was told it would negatively affect its commercial growth. "Instead, we are moving record volumes of cargo more cleanly than ever. Though our ultimate goal is a zero-carbon supply chain, we can all be proud of where we are today."

 
Along with the Port of Los Angeles, the Port of Long Beach this fall is committing to enhancements to the voluntary, landmark Clean Air Action Plan that has delivered remarkable progress cutting emissions from port-related sources, documented in the annual emissions inventories.

These "CAAP Plus" measures include extensive infrastructure planning to support zero-emissions technology and enhancing incentives for cleaner oceangoing vessels, the largest source of emissions at the ports, through strategies like the Environmental Ship Index incentive.

The measures also call for accelerating shore power, collaborating with the South Coast Air Quality Management District to prioritize spending Clean Truck Fund Rate revenue to subsidize the transition to zero-emissions trucks and infrastructure, and developing a zero-emissions drayage truck utilization incentive program.

The Port is moving forward with a number of plans to address all pollutants, including greenhouse gases, which are up 16% since 2017. In the next 10 years, the Port plans to invest US$222 million to support zero emissions and energy resiliency, including projects for the Port’s own fleet of equipment and vehicles.

Port of Long Beach said this figure does not include the contributions that individual terminal operators and other stakeholders also contribute to the port's zero-emissions transformation.

All six container terminals at the Port of Long Beach have projects to support zero-emissions cargo-handling equipment, which currently comprise 21% of the fleet. The port's zero-emissions infrastructure plan also includes but is not limited to hydrogen fueling facilities for fuel cell-powered cargo-handling equipment, shore power for non-container terminals and transitioning of the Port’s harbor craft fleet to zero emissions.

Additionally, the San Pedro Bay ports have reached green shipping corridor agreements with Shanghai and Singapore – two of the busiest seaports in the world – to support the transition to low- and zero-emissions fuels by ships to decarbonize the maritime supply chain and has enlisted the participation of port authorities, ocean carriers, governments, fuel suppliers and climate activists.