California and Japan sign agreement for clean ports and green shipping industry

TOKYO : The governments of California and Japan announced a new collaboration aiming to clean up a critical link in the global supply chain by cooperating on strategies to cut planet-warming pollution at seaports and establish green shipping corridors.

“The ports of California and Japan help power the global economy and will now help power a new era of clean energy, clean transportation and good-paying green jobs,” said California Governor, Gavin Newsom.

The Letter of Intent (LoI) was signed in the capital of Japan, Tokyo, by members of the Newsom Administration and officials from Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. The new agreement builds on the partnership governor Newsom forged last March to enhance trade and climate action between the United States and Japan.

Moreover, the signing is a centerpiece of a weeklong trade mission to Japan led by Lieutenant governor Eleni Kounalakis and governor’s office of business and economic development (GO-Biz) director Dee Dee Myers.

As noted in the Letter of Intent, the California State Transportation Agency will support green shipping corridors, port decarbonisation and the deployment of zero-emission transportation through the US$1.2 billion Port and Freight Infrastructure Program, with awards for the historic one-time program scheduled to be announced later this month.