Last month I had the privilege of attending the third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3), a convening of advocates, governments, experts, and innovators from across the world working to "conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas, and marine resources for sustainable development." I was proud to represent the Port of Seattle and to share what we are doing to advance those goals in our corner of the planet.
We were invited because of our pathbreaking efforts in port sustainability in which we balance economic development for our region with leadership on sustainability. One example is the Pacific Northwest to Alaska Green Corridor, initiated by the Port of Seattle, which is a partnership of public, private, and civil society organizations committed to accelerating zero emissions ships and operations between here and Alaska.
Lacking Federal Leadership, Local Actions are Critical
Since the start of 2025, the absence of U.S. federal leadership on climate action and ocean stewardship has created a vacuum in international venues. At UNOC3, I heard from allies and partners expressing uncertainty over what role the U.S. will play, or not play, to address ocean pollution and acidification, overfishing, and biodiversity impacts. I won’t sugarcoat it; early indications from the current administration favor increased ocean exploitation, including expanding drilling for oil and gas in the Gulf of Mexico and deep-sea mining for critical minerals.
There is another way for the U.S. to play its part, however. Instead of waiting for a change of heart from the president, local and state governments can step up in defense of our ocean ecosystem. At the Port of Seattle, we aren’t going to slow down in our efforts to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in port-related industries, support sustainable fisheries, and lead on deacidification.
All Hands On Deck — Public/Private Partnerships
Challenges of this scale require an "all hands on deck" approach. Government has the ability to make the rules; we can require zero or near-zero emission operations for dock equipment and vessels at berth, limit pollution during near-shore operations, and provide incentives for cleaner-burning fuels at sea. But only private industry — vessel owners, shipbuilders, energy suppliers — have the resources and expertise to implement solutions.
Here’s one real-world example: the Port of Seattle has been working closely with the cruise industry on cold-ironing — the industry term for electrical connections at berth that allow ships to turn off their diesel generators and use our clean grid electricity for power. When cruise ships plug in at berth, we eliminate both GHG emissions and local pollution. As of 2025, all three Seattle cruise berths provide cold-ironing, a benchmark impossible without partnership and commitments from cruise lines to build shore power–capable vessels, as well as investing significant dollars to build the infrastructure at our berths. This is how we go from “business as usual” to “best in class” sustainable practices.
Next Steps
The Port will continue to improve our shore power systems. We’re adding refinements like a modular system that accommodates ships of various sizes and adding plugs to our cargo berths. However, achieving our goal of being North America’s greenest port will require taking on an even bigger challenge: emissions associated with at-sea operations — far and away the largest contributor. Our trip to UNOC3 was focused on building the coalition we need to transition to sustainable maritime fuels.
Currently, maritime shipping accounts for approximately 3% of all greenhouse gas emissions. However, if we don’t act soon, that number will climb as demand for shipping grows and other industries reduce their emissions. For our region, transitioning from fossil fuels to renewable fuels in maritime presents an economic opportunity as well. Rather than importing all of the fuel we use, we can build a renewable fuel economy. Our world-class naval architects are designing zero-emission vessels, our shipbuilders are building them, and our refiners can take advantage of our Climate Commitment Act to produce the fuels — like green methanol — that will power them.
The Port of Seattle will continue to build coalitions for sustainability. With no federal leadership, it’s more important than ever.
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