A cooperative green shipping agreement — first signed in 2023 by the ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach and Singapore — was renewed recently, reinforcing a joint commitment to decarbonization and digitalization along the trans-Pacific route, one of the world’s busiest container trade lanes.
The memorandum of understanding also supports efforts to strengthen supply chain resilience and energy security.
Also supporting the effort is C40 Cities, a network of nearly 100 mayors from the world’s leading cities working to address climate issues.
Among the milestones reached since the launch of the green corridor are:
- Completion of a baseline study in 2024.
- Inclusion of industry partners to explore potential pilot and trials.
- Initiatives to push pilot initiatives in alternative fuels, digitalization and energy efficiency in international shipping.
All three ports have also advanced capabilities in alternative fuels with bunkering supply licenses.
Both the Los Angeles and Long Beach ports have commissioned a Clean Fuels Study and are preparing for a methanol pilot program in 2026. The developments are intended to help prepare all three ports for green fuel trials in the next phase of the partnership.
The partners have also conducted port-to-port data exchange testing and started pilot collaborations with Mitsui O.S.K. Lines.
Under the renewed memorandum, the partners will continue working to deploy low- and zero-emission fuels and digital solutions, including supporting fuel supply and infrastructure, developing pilot and demonstration projects, strengthening port-to-port data connectivity, and promoting inter-operatibility, cybersecurity and common standards.
The renewal agreement was signed ahead of Singapore Maritime Week 2026. It was signed by Ang Wee Keong, CEO of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore; Noel Hacegaba, CEO of the Port of Long Beach; and Gene Seroka, executive director of the Port of Los Angeles.
C40 Cities will continue to serve as a facilitator to convene partners, coordinate collaboration and provide communications support.
“Seaports sit at the intersection of trade, geopolitics, climate and technology,” Hacegaba said in a written statement. “This convergence is what makes partnerships like the Green and Digital Shipping Corridor so impactful as a tool to decarbonize maritime shipping. We call it the ‘green print’ for decarbonizing the trans-Pacific route, the busiest trade route on Earth. It will be particularly important in the years ahead as we tackle our largest source of emissions, from cargo vessels, by accelerating the use of clean fuels such as methanol.”
Decarbonizing goods movement between the largest ports in the U.S. and Asia requires international cooperation like the one represented by the Green and Digital Corridor, Seroka said.
“We are committed to working toward the deployment of zero life-cycle carbon container ships on the corridor by 2030,” he said in a written statement. The corridor is, he added, “the foundation upon which we’ll build the future of maritime shipping.”
Keong commended the agreement for the progress it has made, “transitioning from intent to implementation,” he said in a written statement.
“The renewal of our partnership paves the way towards more sustainable shipping along the trans-Pacific route,” he added. “This gives industry greater confidence to plan investments and diversify energy options for greener shipping.”
The MPA was established in 1996 with the mission of developing Singapore as a global hub port and international maritime center, advancing and safeguarding Singapore’s maritime interests.