Seattle First U.S. W.Coast Port to Join Green Marine
Port of Seattle has signed-on as a participant in Green Marine, the largest voluntary environmental program for the maritime industry in North America.
Port of Seattle state that it is the first U.S. port outside of the Great Lakes region to join Green Marine.
Green Marine is a transparent and inclusive program that addresses nine key environmental issues including air emissions, community impacts (noise, dust, light) and environmental leadership. The program encourages its participants –ship owners, ports, terminals and shipyards- to reduce their environmental footprint by taking concrete actions. Green Marine relevance and credibility is proven through its growing number of supporters: more than 40 environmental groups and government departments/agencies have endorsed and help shape the environmental program, along with representatives from the academic sector and the marine industry.
"Green Marine’s goal of continuous improvement is also at the core of our commitment towards sustainability", says Port of Seattle CEO, Tay Yoshitani. In 2007, he communicated his vision for the future: to become the cleanest, greenest, most energy efficient port in the nation. Building on existing programs, the port has since established a reputation as the Green Gateway—offering the lowest carbon footprint for cargo shipped by sea and then rail from Asia to the Midwest.
The Port of Seattle is also working with Port Metro Vancouver and Port of Tacoma to address port-related contributions to air quality and climate change in the Georgia Basin Puget Sound air shed through the Northwest Port's Clean Air Strategy.
"Being the 8th largest U.S. port in 2012 in terms of TEUs while implementing proactive measures to reduce its environmental footprint, Port of Seattle plays a key role in showing how sustainable port operations are within reach and that is exactly the message and vision Green Marine wishes to convey to all marine industry’s stakeholders", states Green Marine Executive Director, David Bolduc.
