Pacific Environment and Ulsan Port Authority Sign MOU to Accelerate Zero-Emission Shipping and Ports Between US and Republic of Korea

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SINGAPORE (April 16, 2024) – During Singapore Maritime Week 2024, Pacific Environment and the Ulsan Port Authority signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) outlining a vision of multi-year collaboration to accelerate zero-emission shipping and ports in the Republic of Korea, within Asia, across transpacific and global corridors. The MOU Signing Ceremony occurred during a joint … Read more

MEPC81: Support For Pricing Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Shipping Grows But Important Pieces Of Puzzle Still Missing

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London, 22 March, 2024 — As this week’s meeting of the International Maritime Organization’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 81, March 18-22) winds down, the Clean Shipping Coalition welcomed the growing support for a greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions levy, but warned that IMO member states must also maintain focus on other key issues such as … Read more

EPA: Approve life-saving protections and safeguard California’s health and air quality!

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In a victory for people and climate, the California Air Resources Board amended the Commercial Harbor Craft Rule in 2022, setting the first zero-emissions mandate for ferries in the U.S and requiring cleaner engine upgrades for tugboats and other regulated vessels. However, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has yet to approve these lifesaving amendments. … Read more

Mayor Hernandez-Thorpe signs first-ever pledge towards a fossil-free Antioch

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Mayor Lamar Hernandez-Thorpe made a world-leading commitment to reject public investments in new, renewed, fossil fuel infrastructure in Antioch and steer the city toward timely climate mitigation and resilience. “I’ve promised to address climate change head on,” said Mayor Lamar Hernadez-Thorpe. “We’ve ended oil and gas drilling in Antioch and, today, following a historic atmospheric river caused by … Read more

With an Executive Order President Biden can take meaningful action to eliminate shipping emissions and advance environmental justice

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WASHINGTON, DC [September 28, 2023] — In a letter sent to President Biden on World Maritime Day, 45 organizations called for an Executive Order to decarbonize maritime shipping. The Biden administration has already made significant commitments to eliminate emissions from the shipping industry, as well as to accelerate the development of zero-emission fuels and technologies … Read more

Pacific Environment Applauds Gov. Newsom’s Action on Fossil Fuels

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NEW YORK (September 20, 2023) — Today, in front of the United National Climate Ambition Summit hosted by UN Secretary-General, Governor Gavin Newsom highlighted California’s climate action and called out the oil and gas industry for their “continued lies.” Today’s remarks echo the message sent by the State of California’s lawsuit filed on September 16, … Read more

UN agrees on a new climate plan for global shipping, but not 1.5°C aligned

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Civil society groups are deeply concerned by the UN’s International Maritime Organization (IMO) failure to firmly align global shipping with the Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C temperature-warming limit, at the 80th Marine Environment Protection Committee meeting (MEPC 80) this week. The IMO’s 175 member states failed to agree on absolute emission reduction targets for 2030 and 2040, … Read more

Last chance to prevent shipping breach of Paris Agreement’s 1.5°C temperature limit

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Civil society groups are deeply concerned about developments at the UN’s International Maritime Organization (IMO) climate negotiations this week (ISWG-GHG-15), in particular regarding the 2030 and 2040 climate targets that are necessary to put global shipping on a 1.5°C-aligned transition and ensure an equitable transition. The IMO’s 175 member states must urgently listen to climate … Read more

Fuel Production Stakeholders Call for Ambitious Shipping Decarbonisation Policies

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A group of fuel production stakeholders, including H2Carrier and MAN Energy Solutions, today joined Environmental Defense Fund in support for the full decarbonisation of the shipping industry by 2050. The companies call on International Maritime Organization (IMO) Member States to develop policies that incentivize the production and adoption of sustainable fuels, and to adopt ambitious interim targets … Read more

UN climate deal for shipping will fail without ambitious 2030 goal

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The International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) agreement on shipping climate targets expected next month could be the starting gun for the radical climate action our planet desperately needs. Civil society groups are calling on the IMO member states to urgently support halving climate pollution from ships by 2030 and reaching zero-emission by 2040, at the Intersessional Working Group on Greenhouse … Read more

New Year, New Wins

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Happy New Year from all of us at Pacific Environment! Last year, we tackled everything from bubble tea sold in throw-away plastic containers to false, fossil-fueled promises in the shipping industry. We’re working across communities and oceans to build people power and protect our planet. And, we’re ready to do it all over again in … Read more

Our Top 7 of 2022

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We had a great year with many important wins. But none of this would have been possible without our supporters. This support helps Pacific Environment collaborate with brave grassroots leaders to fight climate change, defend the oceans, protect wildlife, build just societies and move beyond fossil fuels toward a green economy.  Our teams coordinate ambitious … Read more

Go hard and early: UN’s historic opportunity to act on shipping

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The stage is set for the UN to finally call time on greenhouse gas emissions from international shipping, following a week of climate talks at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in London. While the IMO failed to adopt a concrete shipping decarbonisation target for shipping this week, there was widespread support for eliminating the industry’s … Read more

UN Shipping Agency Inches Towards 2030 Emission Reduction Goal

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This week’s round of technical talks at the UN’s maritime regulator showed countries are prepared to phase out shipping emissions by 2050. More crucially, support appears to be building for the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to also adopt an ambitious 2030 interim target for cutting emissions from ships. On the question of strengthening the 2050 … Read more

State of California Signals Need for Additional Measures to Tackle Toxic Pollution for Ocean-Going Vessels

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​​​​​​​ Today, California’s chief climate and air pollution regulator released a report on the status of the state’s world-first regulation to end in-port pollution from fossil fuel vessels. The report by California Air Resources Board (CARB) shows the continued success of the state’s in-port pollution regulation in protecting California port and coastal communities from significant … Read more

World’s climate summit wraps — here’s what’s next

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It’s been a ground-breaking two weeks at COP27. Importantly, we’re celebrating the historic decision on loss and damage reparations. After two decades of advocacy, world governments finally agreed to establish a global “loss and damage” fund to help developing and climate-vulnerable countries and communities pay for the costs of managing climate-fueled weather extremes or impacts. … Read more

New California Climate Roadmap Includes Clean Energy Propulsion Goal for Ocean-Going Vessels

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SACRAMENTO (November 17, 2022) – Yesterday, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) released its final 2022 Scoping Plan, the state’s five-year roadmap for achieving its climate goals. After months of consultation with climate experts and advocates, as well as intervention from Governor Newsom, the plan reflects some significant improvements, including the initiation of an interagency process to … Read more

Environmental and Industry Organizations Urge Congress to Pass Bill to Zero Out Shipping Pollution 

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Washington, D.C. (November 17, 2022) – Today, a group of 31 environmental and community organizations and 13 industry organizations sent letters to Democratic leadership in Congress calling on them to support the Clean Shipping Act of 2022 (H.R. 8336). Introduced by Representatives Alan Lowenthal (CA-47) and Nanette Barragán (CA-44) in July, the bill aims to … Read more

The New Climate Denial

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This piece is excerpted from a speech given by Pacific Environment’s Executive Director Alex Levinson at the World Ocean Forum in Korea. My colleagues from Pacific Environment and I are very pleased to be with you all today, at this gathering of international ocean leaders. This is my first time in Busan. A city that … Read more

West Coast Governors Newsom, Inslee, Brown and B.C. Premier Horgan’s Climate Partnership Sets Sights on Port Electrification and Maritime Decarbonization

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San Francisco, Calif. (October 6, 2022) – California Governor Newsom, Oregon Governor Brown, Washington Governor Inslee, and British Columbia Premier Hogan signed a new Statement of Cooperation (SOC), including a new initiative to pursue zero-carbon shipping and to decarbonize port equipment and operations. The U.S. West Coast states and B.C. have some of the world’s … Read more