The Port of Long Beach says thousands of tonnes of air pollution were avoided last year through its Green Flag Program incentive program.
The Port of Long Beach says its Green Flag Program, which offers financial rewards for reducing vessel speed near the harbor to decrease emissions, enabled shipping lines calling at the port to cut thousands of tonnes of air pollution during 2015.
“Our environmental initiatives have led to dramatic improvements in air quality,” said Jon Slangerup, CEO of Port of Long Beach.
“We have surpassed our clean air goals for 2014 and nearly all of them for 2023. We continue to aspire to be the world’s first zero emissions port.”
The program, which provides dockage rate breaks to shipping lines that slow to 12 knots or less within 20 or 40 nautical miles of the port, is said to have seen 154 vessel operators in 2015 meet or exceed the program’s required 90 percent participation rate.
