Port of Oakland, USA, and the Port of Yokohama, Japan, have signed the Green Shipping Corridor MoU, paving the way to share best practices on implementation of green initiatives to transform operations all along the supply chain.
As explained, port of Oakland is the third busiest maritime gateway on the U.S. West Coast. It is a key shipping link in the Asia-U.S. West Coast trade route and global network. Oakland is the preferred agricultural export gateway for California’s Central Valley with connections to the Midwest via rail.
We are grateful to the California State Transportation Agency and the Ministry for bringing together our ports that share the critical supply chain between Japan and California.
…said Port of Oakland Executive Director Danny Wan.
Japan is a major U.S. trade partner and a top destination for U.S. exports from Oakland. This cargo business accounts for 16% of all exports leaving from the Oakland Seaport. One part of the event included the signing of a MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) to accelerate decarbonization of the supply chain between Oakland and Japanese ports.
Japan has demonstrated its commitment to decarbonization initiatives and partnerships to achieve these ambitious goals. Agreements like this MOU are an essential part of establishing the explicit intent to reduce emissions and implementation of worthy projects that can get the job done.
..said Port of Oakland Executive Director Danny Wan.
Port of Oakland Chief Operations Officer Kristi McKenney, who is leading the port’s zero-emissions initiatives and was an official signing witness to the MOU, said “Today we are focused on upgrading, modernizing and enhancing our electrical infrastructure and developing a wide range of decarbonization pathways and technologies with our maritime tenants, customers, and supply chain partners. Agreements like this will help drive these critical initiatives forward and create positive change at the local and international levels.”
The Ports of Oakland and Yokohama plan to share their best practices on a variety of projects that reduce carbon emissions including developing low carbon and zero-emissions cargo handling equipment; trucks and other transportation equipment; exploring alternatives to petroleum-based fuel sources; and leveraging their leadership positions to advocate for green ports and the creation of a Green Shipping Corridor between these two important trade gateways.
Furthermore, according to GMF, through green corridors, international shipping has a unique opportunity to become a driving force behind the global energy transition, but the extent to which this opportunity becomes a reality hinges on robust but focused, timely, and transformative national policy action.
Green corridors are a popular trend in the maritime industry. For instance, during the G20 summit in New Delhi on 9th September, it became known the United States and the European Union have supported the building of an economic corridor, connecting India to the Middle East and the Mediterranean.
