Pacific Environment applauds first-ever Ocean Climate Action Plan

WASHINGTON (March 21, 2023) —The Biden administration released a first-ever Ocean Climate Action Plan. Ocean-based solutions include, but are not limited to: green shipping, blue carbon, biodiversity conservation and protection, ecosystem protection and restoration, nature-based solutions, marine renewable energy, ocean-based carbon dioxide removal and sequestration, climate-ready aquaculture and fisheries, and other ocean-climate related actions.

Achieving the goal of zero emissions from shipping will require effective policymaking, including the promulgation of mandatory technology-forcing and market de-risking regulations and the creation of green-shipping corridors, as well as significant public funding for the development and deployment of zero-emission fuels and technologies for vessels and for zero-emission port infrastructure.

Statement from Antonio Santos, Federal Climate Policy Director, Pacific Environment:

“The Biden administration’s first-ever Ocean Climate Action Plan is a bold and necessary step to address the climate crisis and protect our oceans. And we are encouraged to see that maritime shipping decarbonization is a priority under the plan. Working-class communities and communities of color living near ports have suffered for too long from air pollution created by fossil-fueled ships.

To achieve the goal of zero emissions from shipping, we call for the implementation of mandatory technology-forcing regulations, the acceleration in the development of green shipping corridors, and the securing of increased public funding for zero-emission ship and port innovations. We applaud the leadership of the White House and federal agencies, and look forward to working with them to help zero out pollution from ships and at ports, protect vulnerable populations, and promote environmental justice.”

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