California is home to the largest and busiest port complex in the United States, as well as some of its most impacted portside communities. From Los Angeles and Long Beach to the Bay Area, millions of people live near ports, rail yards and freight corridors where emissions from ships and cargo equipment harm public health and drive climate change.
This pollution is embedded across the freight system and disproportionately affects Black, Brown, Indigenous and working-class communities along port-adjacent and inland corridors. At the same time, California is uniquely positioned to lead the transition to zero-emission shipping, with strong renewable energy resources, growing investment in clean fuels and ambitious climate policies. Pacific Environment is working alongside communities, labor and policymakers to accelerate this shift — cutting emissions, protecting health and creating high-quality green jobs.
Our work in California focuses on transforming one of the world’s largest port systems into a model for clean, equitable and sustainable shipping. Through our Ports for People campaign, we advocate for policies and investments that reduce emissions at every stage of port operations — from ships at berth to cargo-handling equipment and harbor craft.
We work on the ground with partners and decision-makers to ensure that solutions center the communities most impacted by pollution while unlocking economic opportunities in clean energy and zero-emission technologies like green hydrogen.
Explore our work across California, where we’re advancing clean shipping solutions, supporting stronger air quality protections and helping position the state as a global leader in zero-emission maritime innovation.
Sign up for updates and take action to advance clean air and zero-emission solutions in California’s port communities. Together, we can transform the state’s ports into engines of a healthy, sustainable and equitable economy.