Global South climate advocates stress urgency for a strong carbon levy on maritime shipping
Read how activists join Pacific Environment at the UN International Maritime Organization’s conference.
Empowering a Greener Future Together
Join Our Business Sponsors Program This World Ocean Day June 8 is World Ocean Day, an annual global celebration of our oceans and all that they provide. It’s a time to reflect not just on the beauty and bounty of our oceans but also on the urgent need to protect these vital ecosystems for future … Read more
Celebrating progress: Zero waste partners in Vietnam
Five years into the start of our initiative to eliminate plastic pollution in Vietnam, I feel immense pride in how much Pacific Environment and our partners have accomplished with our Zero Waste movement. Our goal: minimize single-use waste, reduce consumption, and ensure that products are made to be reused. Each passing year sees our movement … Read more
Global shipping can halve emissions without impacting trade, study finds ahead of key UN decision
The global shipping industry can reduce emissions by nearly 50% by the end of the decade, according to a new study by CE Delft. These findings come as the UN’s International Maritime Organization (IMO) is about to reach an agreement on climate targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from ships in July. Civil society groups call on … Read more
Fuel Production Stakeholders Call for Ambitious Shipping Decarbonisation Policies
A group of fuel production stakeholders, including H2Carrier and MAN Energy Solutions, today joined Environmental Defense Fund in support for the full decarbonisation of the shipping industry by 2050. The companies call on International Maritime Organization (IMO) Member States to develop policies that incentivize the production and adoption of sustainable fuels, and to adopt ambitious interim targets … Read more
UN climate deal for shipping will fail without ambitious 2030 goal
The International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) agreement on shipping climate targets expected next month could be the starting gun for the radical climate action our planet desperately needs. Civil society groups are calling on the IMO member states to urgently support halving climate pollution from ships by 2030 and reaching zero-emission by 2040, at the Intersessional Working Group on Greenhouse … Read more
The Global Plastics Treaty negotiations ended on a precarious note
Paris, France (June 2, 2023) – The second meeting of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-2) for a global agreement to end plastic pollution concluded today at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris, with civil society organizations appealing to governments not to allow the use of dilatory tactics and procedural questions to set back progress and lower … Read more
New report calls for at least 75% reduction of plastics by 2050, reveals dire connection between plastic and climate
In honor of International Plastic Free Day and ahead of the Global Plastics Treaty negotiations, Pacific Environment has released a report that underscores the serious threats of plastic pollution, and presents a new global model showing how the plastics and petrochemical industries will need to change in order to stay within the 1.5 degree Celsius … Read more
Our Top 7 of 2022
We had a great year with many important wins. But none of this would have been possible without our supporters. This support helps Pacific Environment collaborate with brave grassroots leaders to fight climate change, defend the oceans, protect wildlife, build just societies and move beyond fossil fuels toward a green economy. Our teams coordinate ambitious … Read more
Go hard and early: UN’s historic opportunity to act on shipping
The stage is set for the UN to finally call time on greenhouse gas emissions from international shipping, following a week of climate talks at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in London. While the IMO failed to adopt a concrete shipping decarbonisation target for shipping this week, there was widespread support for eliminating the industry’s … Read more
UN Shipping Agency Inches Towards 2030 Emission Reduction Goal
This week’s round of technical talks at the UN’s maritime regulator showed countries are prepared to phase out shipping emissions by 2050. More crucially, support appears to be building for the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to also adopt an ambitious 2030 interim target for cutting emissions from ships. On the question of strengthening the 2050 … Read more
State of California Signals Need for Additional Measures to Tackle Toxic Pollution for Ocean-Going Vessels
Today, California’s chief climate and air pollution regulator released a report on the status of the state’s world-first regulation to end in-port pollution from fossil fuel vessels. The report by California Air Resources Board (CARB) shows the continued success of the state’s in-port pollution regulation in protecting California port and coastal communities from significant … Read more
Environmental and Industry Organizations Urge Congress to Pass Bill to Zero Out Shipping Pollution
Washington, D.C. (November 17, 2022) – Today, a group of 31 environmental and community organizations and 13 industry organizations sent letters to Democratic leadership in Congress calling on them to support the Clean Shipping Act of 2022 (H.R. 8336). Introduced by Representatives Alan Lowenthal (CA-47) and Nanette Barragán (CA-44) in July, the bill aims to … Read more
Climate Advocates, Community Groups: Target Shipping Commitment Step in the Right Direction, But Not Enough
NEW YORK, NEW YORK (September 22, 2022) – Global retail giant Target joined other big retailers, including Amazon and IKEA, in a landmark commitment to move its products off of fossil-fueled ocean cargo ships by 2040 as part of the Aspen Institute’s Cargo Owners for Zero Emission Vessels initiative. Environmental organizations with the Ship It … Read more
Ports Playbook for Zero-Emission Shipping
The Ports Playbook for Zero-Emission Shipping focuses on three main tracks: commitments, policy, and progress. These tracks lay out nine actions that will end port pollution, accelerate the market for zero-emissions technologies, reward first movers and ensure reliable access to zero-emissions infrastructure and fuels. The 9-point playbook calls on ports to take the following actions: … Read more
Pacific Environment, Opportunity Green release ports playbook for zero-emission ocean shipping
NEW YORK CITY (September 20, 2022) – In connection with Climate Week NYC 2022, Pacific Environment and Opportunity Green released a playbook for ports to accelerate action in the race to a zero-emission ocean shipping future. The IPCC’s 2022 climate report issued dire warnings to end our dependence on fossil fuels if we are to … Read more
Communities, Advocates, Members of Congress Celebrate Strong Commercial Harbor Craft Regulation, First Zero-Emissions Mandate for Ferries in the U.S.
Today, members of Congress, conservation, environmental justice, community, and public health advocates celebrate the unanimous adoption by the California Air Resources Board, led by Chair Liane Randolph, of the nation’s strongest commercial harbor craft public health regulation and the first zero-emissions mandate for ferries. “Communities neighboring the San Pedro Bay Port Complex are disproportionately affected … Read more
Our Top 5 of 2021
In 2021, Pacific Environment partnered with community leaders to fight climate change, protect the oceans, build just societies, and move beyond fossil fuels toward a green economy. I’m proud of the historical wins we and local activists achieved this year. And I hope you are, too, because we couldn’t do what we do without the … Read more
Help Grassroots Heroes Fight Toxic Pollution in China
I first met Ding Jie a decade ago when she was a college graduate taking on heavy polluters in the big city. Together we toured the city of Wuhu, located west of Shanghai on the Yangtze River in southern Anhui Province. Making our way through stagnant air and past construction rubble and urban decay, I … Read more
Inuit Partners Gain First-ever Seat at UN Shipping Body
What a week. Between the world’s premier UN Climate Conference “COP26” and the global shipping crisis, Team Pacific Environment has been hard at work. What’s more, Indigenous partners just won a first-ever seat at the United Nations’ shipping body! Earlier this week, the Inuit Circumpolar Council (ICC) became the first Indigenous Organization to gain International … Read more