The Los Angeles-Long Beach-Shanghai (LA-LB-SH) Green Shipping Corridor has completed its first phase of development in a step towards decarbonising one of the world’s busiest trade routes. Enabled by C40 Cities, the partnership has achieved a series of technical and operational targets that will underpin future zero-carbon transpacific shipping.
Since its inception, the initiative has brought together ports, carriers and energy suppliers from both sides of the Pacific to reduce life-cycle emissions from container shipping and develop infrastructure for low and zero-carbon fuels. According to the partners’ second annual progress report, presented at the North Bund International Shipping Forum in Shanghai, the corridor has successfully delivered on its Phase One milestones.
These include full shore power capability at container terminals in Shanghai, Los Angeles and Long Beach, meeting California’s mandated state regulations. The Port of Shanghai has also supplied more than 47,000 tonnes of green methanol this year, including the country’s first bunkering of domestically produced green methanol, and introduced biofuel bunkering for international ships at the Yangshan Deepwater Port.
On the US side, the twin ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach have completed a joint Clean Fuels Study to identify prospective suppliers and support a forthcoming pilot project for clean marine fuels. Ports’ representatives have also engaged regulators and industry stakeholders to establish guidelines for bunkering, safety and training.
Four dedicated working groups on ports, carriers, energy supply and metrics have each contributed to these advances. Carriers began introducing low life-cycle carbon-capable vessels in 2022, with the first green methanol-fuelled container ship completing a corridor voyage in 2024. Meanwhile, the Energy Supply Working Group has finalised a study on future fuel demand and supply, and reviewed fuel standards, including greenhouse gas intensity requirements, for potential adoption in 2026.
The Metrics and Evaluation Working Group has developed a phased approach to performance tracking, ranging from ship and port deployment indicators to activity-based metrics and eventual emission reduction benchmarks. These frameworks will be key to quantifying the environmental impact of the partnership as it scales up operations.
With its first phase complete, attention now turns to scaling clean fuel infrastructure and vessel deployment across the Pacific, setting a precedent for similar green shipping initiatives worldwide.
