Port of Long Beach announced that it had met all the goals of the San Pedro Bay Ports Clean Air Action plan a year ahead of schedule, citing a "significant drop" in air pollution emissions last year at the port.

The Port's annual emissions inventory report found that compared to 2005, diesel particulates are down 91%, nitrogen oxides have decreased 63%, and sulfur oxides have decreased 97%, all while cargo container volume increased 36%.

Port of Long Beach noted that the progress for the annual inventory is always compared against 2005, the year before the original San Pedro Bay Ports Clean Air Action Plan (CAAP) was adopted.

"Several salient factors impacted activity, efficiency, operations and thus, emissions in the 2022 study year," the port — one of the busiest in the Northern Hemisphere — said.

It noted that by mid-year, congestion related to the COVID-19 pandemic had subsided. Programs put into place to ease congestion, such as vessel queuing, also reduced the number of ships waiting at anchor.

The Port's longstanding initiatives to make landside operations greener also continued to have an effect, with 19% of cargo-handling equipment at terminals now zero-emissions, as did the Port's Clean Truck Program and the ongoing transition to cleaner trucks to move cargo.

Sustainability goals at Port of Long Beach

"We're proud of our green programs and commitment to sustainability," said Bobby Olvera, president of the Long Beach Harbor Commission.

"This emissions inventory is a feather in the Port's cap, and we're celebrating, but our sights are on the ultimate goals we've set, including zero-emissions cargo handling by 2030 and zero-emissions trucking by 2035."

Meanwhile, Mario Cordero, CEO of the Port of Long Beach, noted that the gateway's "impressive record of environmental achievement is widely known."

"But we couldn't accomplish all that we have without the close cooperation of our industry partners, labour and each part of the supply chain that does business with us," he added.

The Port of Long Beach is seeking to become the US' first zero-emissions port for drayage and cargo handling.