GENEVA, SWITZERLAND — The fifth resumed session of the intergovernmental negotiating committee to advance a global plastics treaty (INC-5.2) ended with no global agreement to end plastic pollution and no clear path forward. The nearly two week negotiating process was haphazard with limits on civil society participation. While next steps are still unclear, a majority … Read more
SAN FRANCISCO — Pacific Environment is proud to announce the promotion of Grace Healy to Head of Programs and Teresa Bui to Senior Director, Climate Campaign. Grace Healy joined Pacific Environment in 2021 and has most recently served as Acting Senior Director of the Climate Campaign. In the newly created Head of Programs role, Grace … Read more
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND — The Pacific Environment team is on the ground in Geneva, Switzerland for the final round of Global Plastics Treaty negotiations. The day before the start of the negotiations, Pacific Environment joined hundreds of citizens and civil society organizations from across the world who had gathered outside of the Place des Nations in … Read more
ANCHORAGE — A new report released today lays out the case for why the International Maritime Organization (IMO) should immediately act on reducing black carbon pollution — a climate super-pollutant. On Thin Ice: Why black carbon demands urgent action, by Pacific Environment, explores how the expansion of Arctic shipping is causing an increase in the … Read more
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Ranking Member on the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee (EPW), and Alex Padilla (D-CA), a member of the Committee, along with Representatives Doris Matsui (D-CA-07) and Kevin Mullin (D-CA-15), reintroduced legislation aimed at reducing harmful pollution from the global shipping industry. Maritime shipping is a significant … Read more
Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Robert Garcia (CA-42) and Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) reintroduced the Clean Shipping Act. This bill establishes a path to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions from large ships that come to U.S. ports, protecting the health of port communities and addressing the environmental and climate impacts of shipping pollution. Specifically, the bill would mandate … Read more
SACRAMENTO — Environmental justice, climate and refinery community groups urged caution today as the California Energy Commission laid out their approach to stabilizing supply and preparing for transition amid refinery closures. “Big Oil is manipulating supply issues to shakedown taxpayers and maximize their profits,” said Darryl Molina Sarmiento, executive director of Communities for a Better … Read more
SACRAMENTO — On Friday, May 30, California Assemblymember Jasmeet Bains (D-Delano) publicly called for Liane Randolph, chair of the California Air Resources Board (CARB), to resign. Chair Randolph’s testimony before the Assembly Utilities and Energy Committee was clear, nuanced and aligned with CARB’s long-standing mandate: to protect public health and advance clean air and climate … Read more
SEATTLE (Traditional Puget Sound Salish and Duwamish Lands) — As Amazon continues its aggressive recruitment efforts at the University of Washington (UW), a coalition of climate and labor activists – including Stand.earth, the University of Washington Institutional Climate Action, and Troublemakers, with support from Pacific Environment’s Ship It Zero campaign – hosted a satirical “Amazon … Read more
LONDON — The International Maritime Organization (IMO) concluded its latest round of climate negotiations without reaching a consensus on critical measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the global shipping industry, falling short of the climate targets under the IMO’s own 2023 GHG Strategy. The closed-door talks, held during the 83rd session of the Marine … Read more
SACRAMENTO — Pacific Environment welcomes Davina Hurt as its new California Climate Policy Director, effective January 30, 2025. Prior to joining Pacific Environment, Davina Hurt was appointed to the California Air Resources Board by Governor Gavin Newsom in December 2020 and served on the board for more than four years. Ms. Hurt is an attorney, … Read more
VIETNAM — According to The Maritime Executive, CMA CGM plans to operate and develop a 100% electric barge for Nike goods in Vietnam. The group said that the barge is part of its long-term commitment and decarbonization plans. However, CMA also told Loadstar this week that it ordered 12 new liquefied natural gas (LNG) vessels … Read more
WASHINGTON, DC —The Zero Emission Maritime Buyers Alliance (ZEMBA), an alliance of freight buyers that includes major retailers — like members Amazon, IKEA — announced that it is accepting bids for its e-fuel-focused tender. Bids will be due in spring 2025 and the tender is focused on stimulating the first commercial deployment of e-fuels in … Read more
SAN FRANCISCO — Pacific Environment’s Ship It Zero coalition commends IKEA for continuing to prioritize maritime shipping decarbonization, as reflected in the company’s FY24 Climate and Sustainability reports released this week. As the leading retailer in green shipping, Pacific Environment encourages IKEA to push other retailers to move towards zero-emission ships and commit to truly … Read more
SAN FRANCISCO — Offshore Energy reported today that industry giants Hapag-Lloyd and Maersk have signed an agreement for a new long-term operational collaboration called ”Gemini Cooperation,” which will start in February 2025. The following statement is from Jonathan Butler, Pacific Environment’s Climate Campaign Manager for Corporate and lead representative of the Ship It Zero campaign: … Read more
SEATTLE (February 5, 2025) — Today, Pacific Environment celebrated the introduction of HB 1689 by Washington State Representatives Julia Reed, Liz Berry, Lisa Parshley, Beth Doglio, Gerry Pollet and Alex Ramel. The landmark bill will direct the Department of Ecology to adopt a statewide shore power policy that will accelerate shore power installation across the … Read more
LONDON — Pacific Environment has released a report, Poison in the Water: The Call to Ban Scrubber Discharge, The Health and Environmental Costs Industry Wants Us to Ignore, that lays out the case for why the International Maritime Organization (IMO) should immediately ban scrubber discharge into the marine environment. The IMO’s Pollution Prevention and Response … Read more
ANCHORAGE — A new report, Alaska’s Pointless Pipe Dream. It’s Time to Stop Burning Money on the North Slope Gasline, released today critiques the proposed Alaska LNG export project from Alaska’s North Slope to Southcentral Alaska. The report concludes that there is no plausible economic argument or benefit to continue chasing the state’s long-held pipe … Read more
Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved the majority of California Air Resources Board’s (CARB) waiver request for the Commercial Harbor Craft Rule, including most of the zero-emission requirements. This regulation paves the way for zero-emissions harbor craft such as ferries, tugboats and workboats. This rule will significantly improve the air Californians living by … Read more
NEW YORK CITY (December 19, 2024) — The New York City Council introduced Bill LS 17648 today that calls for a feasibility study of zero-emission port operations by 2040 that includes all aspects of port transportation, maintenance, loading and unloading, ocean-going vessels, handling equipment, trucks and locomotives. The feasibility study would be delivered one year … Read more
