The United States of America, the Republic of Fiji, the Republic of Panama and the Pacific Blue Shipping Partnership have announced their intent to engage in technical cooperation to help facilitate the establishment of green shipping corridors.
All three countries, intend to undertake a feasibility study to explore the potential of creating a green shipping corridor in the region, which can work to expand access to new fuels and technologies. Upon the corridor’s completion, they will initiate discussions on next steps among key stakeholders.
US Green shipping corridors are a key means of spurring the early adoption of zero-emission fuels and technologies to help place the shipping sector on a pathway to align with the goal of limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
The Republic of Panama and the United States intend to undertake a feasibility study to explore the potential of this type of corridor in the region. To this end, they will work together with various actors from the scientific community, the maritime industry, environmental organizations, and coastal communities in the development of this project, which would be the first of its kind in the region through the Green Shipping Corridor Initiation Project, announced under the Green Shipping Challenge at COP27 and would be in line with standards and goals established by the IMO.
Fiji is also joining the Green Shipping Challenge, an initiative that catalyzes actions from countries and non-state actors to advance the transition to a 1.5-aligned shipping sector. For its part, the United States is pursuing this technical cooperation under the Green Shipping Corridor Initiation Project.