A new move has been made for the world’s first “green corridor” in the cruise sector.
More specifically, the Port of Seattle, City and Borough of Juneau, Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, leading global cruise lines, as well as the Global Maritime Forum, Blue Sky Maritime Coalition, and Washington Maritime Blue announced a new commitment today to explore the feasibility of the world’s first cruise-led “green corridor”.
Although originally created by cruise ports in the Pacific Northwest, with the contribution of the cruise industry, this initiative welcomes the involvement of all sectors of the shipping industry and other regional ports. Domestic cargo lines, ferries, commercial fishing, tug and barges, and other ports have a strong interest and shared goals around climate action which may require an expanded agreement to reflect new participants or corridors in the region.
The First Mover Commitment -as it is named- was announced during the International Association of Ports and Harbors World Ports Conference in Vancouver, British Columbia.
The partners of the commitment agreed to:
- Work together to explore the feasibility of a green corridor in the Pacific Northwest of North America, including, but not limited to, further defining the scope and application of the green corridor concept;
- Enhance and support the emission-reduction efforts already underway and use the green corridor as a testbed for low and zero greenhouse gas technologies and ships, as feasible; and
- Work collaboratively to define the governance structures, terms, and frameworks needed to guide this regional effort.
“These first movers are coming together around the need to address the most pressing issue of our time — climate change,” said Port of Seattle commissioner Fred Felleman.
“We’re not naïve about the challenges ahead. But we recognise the urgency to act as we transition to an inclusive blue economy that works for the climate, commerce, and communities alike,” he added.
