Shanghai commits to zero emission shipping with global collaboration
Global experts and officials share insights on port city climate solutions in Shanghai on Tuesday.
Shanghai has committed to advancing zero-emission shipping and enhancing global cooperation, city officials told a key international seminar on Tuesday.
The "2024 Zero Emission Transpacific Container Shipping Regional Workshop" was held in Shanghai, co-hosted by the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group and the Shanghai Transportation Commission.
The workshop aimed to share experiences and outcomes of green shipping corridor initiatives and explore new potential cooperation within the Asia-Pacific region.
Key attendees included Xu Huili, deputy secretary-general of the Shanghai government, and Nancy Sutley, deputy mayor of Los Angeles.
The workshop brought together representatives from major ports and cities within the transpacific container shipping network, and leading global and regional organizations in shipping decarbonization.
The transpacific shipping route, one of the world's busiest trade routes, offers significant insights and implications for the global shipping industry's green transition.
Port and shipping activities drive global economic development, with over 80 percent of global trade conducted via maritime transport.
However, these activities also pose environmental challenges. Accelerating the low-carbon transition of the shipping industry is imperative in the context of global climate governance, according to the seminar.
In September 2023, the world's first transpacific green shipping corridor – the "Shanghai Port-Los Angeles Port Green Shipping Corridor Implementation Plan Outline" – was officially announced at the North Bund International Shipping Forum.
According to the outline, from 2025, shipping company partners will deploy vessels capable of full life cycle low-carbon or zero-carbon emissions along this corridor.
By 2030, the feasibility of the world's first full life cycle zero-carbon emission container ship (or fleet) will be demonstrated on this route.
In recent years, green shipping corridor cooperation has been recognized as an effective mechanism for accelerating the decarbonization of the shipping industry.
Collaborative efforts between Singapore and Los Angeles ports, Tianjin and Singapore ports, and Guangzhou and Los Angeles ports highlight the consensus within the Asia-Pacific region on building green shipping corridors.
Global experts and officials share insights on port city climate solutions on the workshop in Shanghai on Tuesday.
Xu emphasized Shanghai's commitment to becoming an influential socialist modern international metropolis, with green and low-carbon development as fundamental requirements.
"We have been actively exploring green and low-carbon development, especially in the shipping sector, through green shipping policies, low-carbon port construction, clean energy promotion, and green technology innovation," Xu said.
Shanghai has been promoting clean and new energy applications in the shipping industry, supported by technological innovation and policy improvements, according to the city's transport commission.
International cooperation and exchanges are also being strengthened to address environmental challenges collectively.
The C40 Cities, a network of the world's megacities committed to addressing climate change, praised the progress of the green shipping corridor initiative.
The C40 would continue to support Chinese cities in enhancing climate governance capabilities, advancing key areas and actions, and supporting national carbon neutrality goals, according to the organization.
The workshop also delved into how cities can further decarbonize transportation and ports. Representatives engaged in lively discussions on climate measures for port cities, shared practices in developing green ports, explored obstacles to achieving zero-emission container shipping across the Pacific, and envisioned future cooperation between green ports.
They aimed to strengthen international exchanges and cooperation, introduce international practices, and share China's successful experiences.
The workshop focuses on how cities can further decarbonize transportation and ports.
