Port of Long Beach CEO Mario Cordero, speaking before some 1,000 people, highlighted the 20th anniversary of the “Green Port” initiative Thursday, Jan. 16, at his annual State of the Port speech.
Along with the sold-out crowd of 900 at the Long Beach Convention Center, there were others watching the live-streamed event online. One of the most anticipated speeches of the year — the Port of Los Angeles will present its State of the Port talk on Jan. 23 — Cordero’s presentation, celebratory in nature and lasting more than an hour, drew frequent applause.
The speech was interspersed with videos that also included interviews with other port, government and industry leaders.
Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson and Long Beach harbor commission President Bonnie Lowenthal, along with Noel Noel Hacegaba, chief operating officer at the port, shared introductory remarks at the polished event that also includes musical entertainment and lunch.
Most of Cordero’s remarks centered on advances made to cut pollution in the port and also on the rise in cargo numbers. He did not address the coming tariffs promised by the incoming Trump Administration and how that could impact shipping and cargo numbers.
But Cordero has hit on the topic in a December news release, saying 2018 tariffs resulted in a 20% decline in imports from China and a 45% decline in U.S. exports to China due to retaliatory actions.
But the Cordero’s speech Thursday was billed as a time to celebrate and focus on advances the port has made in its two-decade-long push to become “zero emissions” in its operations as “America’s Green Port.” After the speech, he was joined by representatives of the State Lands Commission and Humboldt Bay to sign a memorandum of understanding to enable floating offshore wind power.
“We are celebrating significant progress not seen at any port complex in the nation or industry sector,” Cordero told the packed crowd, later adding: “Let me be clear: our stated mission is zero emissions and we are on the right track to fulfill this challenging endeavor.”
He also noted the port’s growing cargo flows, saying that the emissions reductions have come during a time of record cargo numbers.
“Our marine terminal operators and dockworkers hit new cargo heights in 2024 — achieving several consecutive months of year-over-year records,” Cordero said.
The port last year, he said, moved “a record 9.6 million containers — making 2024 our busiest year ever.”
Cordero gave credit to the neighboring Port of Los Angeles which has partnered with Long Beach to drive down emissions numbers, pledging that the two ports will continue to increase their collaboration with one another. Behind the push also have been longstanding environmental concerns with more frequent complaints by residents in port-adjacent neighborhoods and environmental watchdog groups.
Cordero — a former harbor commissioner before accepting President Barack Obama’s appointment to the Federal Maritime Commission in 2011 followed by being tapped to head up the Port of Long Beach in 2017 — has long had a strong and ambitious focus on becoming the nation’s first “green” port.
The 2025 State of the Port of Long Beach emphasized that vision.
For what is one of the most-watched speeches of the year in the port, Cordero called on the audience to celebrate the advancements that have been made in recent years.
Telling the audience to remember the numbers 92, 71, and 98, Cordero listed these recent stats for the Port of Long Beach:
- Diesel particulate matter is down 92%
- Nitrogen oxides, or NOX, are down 71%
- Sulfur oxides, or SOX, are down by 98%
“Now here are two more numbers,” he said, “100 and zero. Our goal is to push 92, 71, and 98 to 100.”
The anticipated annual speech also touched on the port’s ambitious Pier Wind project, the Pier B rail development, an expansion of the port’s data sharing practices, and what has been the growing collaboration with the Port of Los Angeles, though the two shipping ports also remain competitors sharing the busy Los Angeles shipping gateway.
Construction on the Pier Wind project will develop a terminal assemble floating wind turbines to be used 20-30 miles offshore in Central and Northern California could begin as early as 2027 with the first phase operational as soon as 2032, Cordero said, acknowledging there has been some “trepidation” expressed about the new initiative.
“Next month offshore wind leaders and experts from around the state will convene at Port of Long Beach headquarters for a conference to work on plans for offshore wind,” Cordero said, adding a quote from former President Obama in 2009: “We did not come here to fear the future. We came here to shape it.”
In other remarks, Cordero also noted a collaboration with Toyota Motor of North America and FuelCell Energy with the opening celebration in May of a “Tri-Gen” system in the port that uses landfill biogas to produce renewable electricity, hydrogen and usable water to support Toyota Logistics Services in Long Beach.
In the fall, he added, the port recognized the opening of the newest heavy-duty vehicle charging depot in the port where Class 8 zero-emissions trucks can power up on electricity. It is, he said, the largest charging depot at any North American port.
“Coming up next week, we’ll add 44 charging units for trucks during a ribbon cutting ceremony at Forum Mobility,” he said. That will put the port over 100 public charging units, he said.
“With more charging stations we can bring more electric trucks into port service,” Cordero said, adding that currently there are 457 Z-E trucks in operation.
Among continuing challenges ahead, he said, will be the continuing needed collaboration with local, regional, state and national partners, including those in the private sector as green technology advances and costs will also be a factor.
In other remarks, Cordero said:
- “Keep in mind, the Port of Long Beach accounted for about 5% of diesel particulate matter, 4% of nitrogen oxides, and 3% of sulfur oxides in the region in 2023. … We’ll rest — and our neighbors will breathe easier — when we are a zero-emissions port. Our efforts to cut port-related emissions include a 17% drop in greenhouse gases, emissions that are associated with global climate change.”
- “In addition, cancer risks are declining in Los Angeles County,” he said, adding that he believes the port improvements are factors. The statement came from the South Coast Air Quality Management District, Cordero stressed, which he quoted as saying the reduction has resulted in “significant improvement” in cancer risks in the areas adjacent to the ports. The next study is expected to come in 2026.
- “Our operations are more efficient and more sustainable, even while our terminal operators and dockworkers are handling record cargo.”
- “So far, the Clean Truck Fund rate in Long Beach alone has generated more than $100 million which is going to super-charge deployment and support zero-emissions trucks in the harbor port complex. About $60 million has been distributed so far to support truck purchases and charging stations.”
- “Our theme this year is ’20 years of leading green,’” noting that the Long Beach harbor commission adopted the green port policy 20 years ago.
- “The green port policy gave rise to a collaborative effort with the Port of Los Angeles — the 2006 Clean Air Action Plan” which included the goal of phasing out “thousands of high-polluting drayage trucks at the ports with newer, cleaner models. Today truck emissions are down 90% compared to 2005.”
- “In 2005, we started the Green Flag Program where cargo ships slow to 12 knots when near the port. Slower speeds generate less emissions. And in 2012, we adopted the Green Ship Program to provide financial incentives for shipping lines to deploy their newest, cleanest cargo vessels to our port.”
- International agreements, he said, will bring a “new normal” with ships powered by clean fuels. “Today, ocean carriers are ordering cleaner, lower-carbon emitting ships. These are lines with methanol, ammonia or LNG-capable ships on order. This represents 73 new ships, of 13,000 TEU (container) to 16,000 TEU size, many of which will join our Green Shipping Corridors.“