Pacific Ports Clean Air Collaborative
The Pacific Ports Clean Air Collaborative (PPCAC) is a partnership among the Port of Los Angeles, Shanghai Municipal Transportation Commission, U.S. Maritime Administration, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Pacific Rim ports that meets every three years at the PPCAC Conference. This conference serves as a venue for ports, shipping lines, terminal operators, equipment manufacturers, regulatory agencies, environmental groups, and others involved in trade along the Pacific Rim to come together to share best practices, exchange ideas, and work together.
Ports around the world share common challenges in reducing emissions from mobile sources, including emissions from sources not directly owned by the port or that cross jurisdictional boundaries. Meaningful emissions reductions from mobile sources—including ocean-going vessels, harbor craft, trucks, trains, and cargo handling equipment—cannot be achieved by any one entity working independently. Therefore, it is essential that ports, shipping industry partners, regulatory agencies, and non-governmental organizations collaborate with each other to reach common environmental goals. Partnerships such as the Pacific Ports Clean Air Collaborative have established successful collaborative environmental initiatives that will continue into the future.
Conferences
At the first PPCAC Conference, 18 port authorities stood alongside more than 30 industry representatives for two days of presentations to discuss challenges and solutions to air pollution stemming from port operations. The conference ended with a ceremonial “commitment statement,” by which the participants signaled their willingness to attend future conferences and continue the dialogue on common challenges, emerging technologies, and viable initiatives for reducing air emissions. Subsequent PPCAC conferences and their overarching themes are summarized below. Planning for the sixth PPCAC conference in Shanghai is underway.
- 2006: Port of Los Angeles: Air Quality
- 2008: Shanghai Municipal Transportation Commission: Greenhouse Gases
- 2012: Port of Los Angeles: Sustainability
- 2015: Shanghai Municipal Transportation Commission: Inventories, ECAs and Technology
- 2018: Port of Los Angeles: Policies, Technologies and New Opportunities
The PPCAC has gained momentum over time, with the most recent conference in 2018 welcoming more than 100 participants representing seven countries and securing partnerships with international organizations, including the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC).
For more information, or to participate, please contact: Lisa Wunder, Port of Los Angeles Marine Environmental Manager.