Welcome to the September edition of Pacific Current! This month, we update on California’s fight to protect Clean Air Act rules and how you can help, as well as spotlight two new reports, share progress in our shore power efforts in New York and New Jersey and more.
Stand up for California’s Clean Air Act protections
Some members in Congress want to overturn California’s long-standing clean air protections using a dubious maneuver under the Congressional Review Act. Last week, the House of Representatives voted to gut California’s Ocean-Going Vessels At Berth waiver and Commercial Harbor Craft waiver. The Senate could vote this week.
“We call on the Senate to uphold the waivers to protect the health of communities, state’s rights and America’s ability to compete in the global economy,” said Teresa Bui, Pacific Environment’s Senior Climate Campaign Director.
Help us stand up for clean air by sending a letter today: Tell your legislators to oppose these destructive resolutions in just one click! We’ll keep you updated as we continue to stand against efforts to dismantle clean air rules that protect human health, ecosystems and the climate.
SEND A LETTERNew report urges IMO to require cleaner marine fuels to protect the Arctic from black carbon
Pacific Environment’s new report demonstrates why the International Maritime Organization should immediately act to reduce black carbon pollution by requiring the use of cleaner marine fuels in the Arctic. “On ever thinner ice: Reducing black carbon demands urgent action” is an update to our 2025 report and comes ahead of important IMO deliberations on black carbon in November.
Last week, our Arctic team and Clean Arctic Alliance led a webinar highlighting findings from the report and shared valuable insights from partner organizations Global Choices and International Cryosphere Climate Initiative. Watch the webinar recording to catch up.
READ THE REPORTPower critical campaigns with a gift today
Now more than ever, advancing clean air efforts and environmental progress is critically important. As the federal government works to dismantle clean air regulations and international efforts to protect the Arctic face challenges, your gift can power our critical campaigns fighting for cleaner air, thriving ecosystems and healthier communities. Give today to help Pacific Environment keep these efforts moving forward.
GIVE TODAYShore power picks up speed in New York and New Jersey
Pacific Environment’s Ports for People campaign is advancing the “Our Port. Our Health. Our Power.” campaign across New York and New Jersey by urging the port authority to accelerate clean shore power and port electrification that will save lives and ensure cleaner port communities.
The ports of New York and New Jersey are economic powerhouses, yet maritime shipping pollution sickens communities by contributing to heart disease and childhood asthma.
“Our Port. Our Health. Our Power.” includes a summer teach-in series now underway, convened by Pacific Environment, Parents Engaging Parents New Jersey (PEPNJ) and members of the NY-NJ Clean Shipping Coalition.
Take action for a cleaner New York and New Jersey by signing our shore power petition.
SIGN THE PETITIONIn the news
Explore some of our latest media highlights and expert commentary featured in leading outlets.
- IMO Net-Zero Framework Holds Ground After Latest Round of Climate Talks (gCaptain)
- Congress Aims To Repeal Harbor Clean Air Rules, While Federal Judge Says “Stop!” (Random Lengths News)
- Da Nang sows green seeds through plastic-free schools. (Vietnam.vn)
Tomorrow’s Ships, Today’s Choice
Maritime shipping is an essential part of the global economy, but it is a major contributor to climate change and air pollution. To ensure a cleaner future in the United States and around the world, Pacific Environment has launched “Tomorrow’s Ships, Today’s Choice,” an advertising campaign to educate the U.S. federal government and Congress to invest in a clean energy future for the American shipping industry via cleaner ships, advanced maritime fuels, modern ports and next-generation supply chains.
Our digital ads in The Hill and Politico targeted Washington insiders to spread the word that the next maritime chapter should be written by American workers, American innovation and American leadership — not locked into dirty fuels and outdated technologies.
LEARN MOREWill America be left behind in the global clean shipping transformation?
The Trump administration released a Maritime Action Plan in February that proposes a $1 trillion fee structure that will power a strategy to revive American shipbuilding. While reviving U.S. shipbuilding capacity is a worthy goal, there’s a catch: The plan lacks a clear strategy on including clean maritime fuels that will increasingly power the global fleet. Our latest blog by Climate Policy Director Davina Hurt identifies some of the flaws in the current MAP and explains what could work instead.
READ THE BLOGPacific Environment and Singaporean university urge robust fuel certification for green shipping
Pacific Environment and Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) have issued a new study highlighting that strict and reliable fuel certification is essential to keep the global shipping industry’s transition to clean fuels honest and fraud-free. The study, “The role of sustainable fuels certification schemes in maritime decarbonization,” was led by the Maritime Energy & Sustainable Development Centre of Excellence at NTU Singapore. It evaluates established certification systems to guide the IMO as it establishes global standards for Sustainable Fuel Certification Schemes.
“Certification systems will play an essential role in ensuring that zero- and near-zero-emission fuels deliver genuine environmental benefits. As shipping scales up the use of these fuels, we need certification systems that are robust enough to guard against fraud and unsustainable production, while also being practical and workable across complex international supply chains,” said Lim Jie Ying, Pacific Environment’s Singapore Climate Specialist.
READ MORE
