Pacific Northwest port communities to consider marine “Green Corridor”

Ports and Cruise Lines in the Pacific Northwest announced that they will investigate the feasibility of a “green corridor,” a dedicated zero greenhouse gas emission maritime route.

Unceded Coast Salish Territories (VANCOUVER, BC) — Ports and Cruise Lines in the Pacific Northwest announced that they will investigate the feasibility of a “green corridor,” a dedicated zero greenhouse gas emission maritime route.

The announcement comes from the Port of Seattle, the City and Borough of Juneau, and the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, who have agreed to collaborate across sectors and implement the necessary technological, economic, and regulatory measures needed for zero greenhouse gas emission ships to succeed.

“This is an incredible first step towards recognizing and addressing the environmental impacts left in the wake of the cruise industry, but we urge both ports and industry to ensure that this corridor is truly green – not fracked gas-based hydrogen and environmentally-damaging biofuels,” said Anna Barford, Canada Shipping Campaigner, Stand.earth. “This announcement demonstrates that ports and cruise lines are responding to the increasing public outcry against the cruise sector’s outsized pollution footprint.”

Around the world, oceans and coastal communities face major threats from growing and unnecessary ship pollution. This potential corridor  has the opportunity to take strong action to ban problematic technologies like the pollution cheat systems scrubbers, LNG fracked gas engines, and clearly demonstrate demand for green, i.e. renewable-based, hydrogen over business as usual. 

Over the last decade, the cruise ship industry off the West Coast of Canada has exploded. In 2019, more than one million passengers and crew from 30 different cruise ships visited the Victoria cruise terminal during 256 ship calls on their way to and from Alaska. During this time, the B.C coast was subjected to 32 billion litres of dumping of sewage, greywater, and acidic fossil fuel waste from scrubbers. These waste streams contain a variety of pollutants that contribute to ocean acidification and increase greenhouse gases trapped in the atmosphere.

“While we celebrate now, we are keeping a sharp eye on the next steps to keep the momentum going and ensure that this isn’t just more greenwashing and empty promises from groups like US federal felons Carnival Corporation,” said Kendra Ulrich, Shipping Campaigns Director, Stand.earth. 

 

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Media contacts: 

Ziona Eyob, Media Director – Canada, canadamedia@stand.earth, +1 604 757 7279 (Pacific Time)