Dear Friends and Neighbors,
As we celebrate Earth Day, I want to reaffirm my commitment as your Port of Seattle Commission President to championing the cause of environmental sustainability. Our beautiful county, with its lush landscapes and vibrant waters, reminds us daily of what we are working so hard to preserve and protect.
I believe that we, as Port and maritime industry leaders, have the necessary resources to help our community and planet overcome one of the most urgent challenges of our time, climate change. Combating the reality of climate change takes honesty, accountability, and innovation. We must urgently enact significant cuts in greenhouse gas emissions. Establishing a shipping corridor with zero greenhouse gas emissions and the required onshore infrastructure is an immense task. Our Commission stands prepared to allocate the resources and policy authority needed to empower our staff to act as facilitators, bringing stakeholders together and spearheading the transition to a green economy. However, we are fully aware of the challenges that lie ahead.
The Port of Seattle has been at the forefront of green initiatives, from our green shipping and cruise corridors to sustainable aviation fuels to electrifying our waterfront, and I am dedicated to ensuring we continue to lead by example. Later this year, the Northwest Seaport Alliance will launch an incentive program to bring at least 20 zero-emission trucks to our marine cargo gateway. We have applied for additional federal funding that would help us expand our demonstration program to 200 or more zero-emission drayage trucks. Beyond trucking, one of our best opportunities for decarbonization is to install shore power infrastructure at our container terminals so that ships can plug into our clean electric grid while at berth. This spring the Northwest Seaport Alliance will be applying for Inflation Reduction Act funding that would allow us to install shore power at two more of our largest container terminals. This year all three of our cruise berths will be shore power equipped as well, making us the only homeport in the country to accomplish this feat. Simply plugging all container ships at our gateway’s major terminals into shore power would result in emission reductions of nearly 14,000 tons of greenhouse gases each year, as well as improve air quality in these industry-impacted areas.
Our efforts in reducing emissions, planting native vegetation, and restoring habitat along the Duwamish River will help safeguard our environment for future generations. Together, let us commit to the sustainable practices that respect our planet. Every small action counts in building a healthier, more sustainable community. Thank you for joining me in this vital pursuit.
From one Earthling to another,
Hamdi Mohamed
President, Port of Seattle Commission
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