The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), Port of Los Angeles and Port of Long Beach, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to establish a green and digital shipping corridor between Singapore and the San Pedro Bay ports complex.
The aim is to support the decarbonization of the maritime industry and improve efficiencies through digitalization, and the parties will work to facilitate the supply and adoption of low and zero-emission fuels between the ports and explore the necessary infrastructure and regulations for bunkering.
In addition to identifying and collaborating on pilot and demonstration projects, the memorandum aims to identify digital shipping solutions and develop standards and best practices for green ports and the bunkering of alternative marine fuels, including sharing experiences at international platforms such as IMO.
The MoU was facilitated by C40 Cities. It builds on the ports’ long-standing cooperation through platforms such as the Port Authorities’ Roundtable and chainPORT, and complements bilateral initiatives between Singapore and the United States such as the U.S.-Singapore Climate Partnership and the U.S.-Singapore Partnership for Growth and Innovation.
John Kerry, U.S. Presidential Climate Envoy, said, “Shipping is responsible for approximately a gigaton of greenhouse gas emissions each year. But the good news is that many shipping companies, ports and countries are stepping up. Today’s MOU is one of those pieces of good news.”
The memorandum follows from an earlier announcement in November 2022, that Singapore, Long Beach and Los Angeles ports, and C40 Cities had begun discussions to establish a green and digital shipping corridor between Singapore and the San Pedro Bay ports complex. This announcement supported the Green Shipping Challenge launched during the World Leaders’ Summit at the 27th United Nations Climate Change Conference to encourage governments, ports, maritime carriers, cargo owners and other stakeholders across the maritime value chain to commit to concrete steps to galvanize global action to decarbonize the shipping industry.