PACIFIC PORTS CLEAN AIR COLLABORATIVE

FIRST PACIFIC PORTS CONFERENCE SUMMARY
Held in Los Angeles, California in December of 2006, the inaugural Pacific Ports Clean Air Collaborative Conference allowed ports from around the Pacific Rim to meet with shipping industry representatives and engine manufacturers for two days of presentations to discuss challenges and solutions to air pollution stemming from port operations. This was the first opportunity for port staff from around the Pacific Rim to meet their counterparts involved with air quality issues associated with global commerce. It also provided the opportunity to learn from each port what political/regulatory forces were shaping their policies and learn what strategies they were considering/implementing to control air emissions. The conference presenters provided technical discussions on best management practices and emissions inventories that are used in implementing air quality policies and control strategies.

The three-day conference wrapped up with a ceremonial “commitment” by conference participants, signaling their willingness to attend future conferences in order to continue dialogue about common challenges emerging technologies and viable initiatives for reducing air emissions at ports all over the Pacific Rim. Eighteen port authorities and more than thirty other participants took part in the closing statement.

SECOND INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE
The second Pacific Ports Clean Air Collaborative Conference, entitled Clean Port, Sustainable Development, was held in November 2008 in Shanghai, China. The conference was organized by the Shanghai Municipal Transport and Port Authority of China and co-organized by the Port of Los Angeles. Conference discussion topics centered around challenges and experiences in port environmental protection, updates on emission inventory measurement methods and testing technologies, new technologies used in port environment protection and their application, energy saving and emission reduction measures, and the exchange and cooperation efforts on port environmental protection. It was attended by participants from 16 ports around the Pacific Rim, 6 different environmental protection agencies from different countries, and various shipping companies, engine manufacturers, and other maritime association and industry representatives.