Climate leadership award for Port of LA

The award was given by the US Environmental Protection Agency’s EPA in conjunction with the Association of Climate Change Officers, the Centre for Climate and Energy Solutions and The Climate Registry.

The EPA recognised the port in the category of Supply Chain Leadership, noting the port’s greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction goals, its comprehensive tracking and GHG inventories, as well as its leadership and management of these emissions in the organisational value chain. The EPA also recognised companies including IBM, Ford Motor Company, Gap Inc and others with Climate Leadership Awards.

The EPA commended the port for its leadership in providing tools to help ports around the world measure and reduce their carbon footprints. To control GHGs at the supply chain level, in 2006 the port adopted a green leasing policy that includes environmental requirements in tenant lease agreements, including air emission controls; water, stormwater, and sediment quality assessments; and energy audits on terminal buildings to identify energy savings. In addition, the port‘s Technology Advancement Program funds development and roll-out of emission reduction innovations and technologies for port mobile sources.

Internationally, through its activities with other ports and business members of the International Association of Ports and Harbours the Port of Los Angeles has been instrumental in development of the World Ports Climate Initiative, a global collaboration of approximately 60 ports aimed at reducing GHGs and improving air quality. Chaired by Port of Los Angeles executive director Knatz, the initiative has resulted in a number of unprecedented tools to assess global warming at port facilities, including the Carbon Footprinting Guide for Ports and Carbon Calculator.

The Port of Los Angeles has long been involved in GHG reduction efforts, and has been measuring its GHG emissions since 2006. As part of its Municipal Climate Action Plan adopted in December 2007, the port set the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 35% below 1990 levels by 2030. Many of the port’s greenhouse gas reduction programs serve as models to other ports in the United States and around the world.