In our role as the shared stewards of the Port of Vancouver, we are constantly looking for ways to reduce and mitigate the impacts of port-related activities on the environment. For us, this means leading and participating in climate and air quality action programs designed to help conserve energy, reduce greenhouse gas and air contaminant emissions, and promote cleaner, low-emission energy sources.
Our climate and air quality actions support federal greenhouse gas emission reduction targets, are guided by the national Air Quality Management System and are aligned with the Northwest Ports Clean Air Strategy, developed in partnership with the port authorities of Seattle, Tacoma, and the Northwest Seaport Alliance.
Our approach is based on:
- Improving equipment and operational efficiency
- Implementing interim emission reductions
- Developing low and zero emission energy infrastructure
- Adoption of low and zero emission technology
- Climate and air quality commitments
- We have committed to:
- Reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by 2030
- Phase out all port-related emissions that affect air quality or contribute to climate change by 2050
Climate and air quality initiatives
We lead a suite of environmental programs and initiatives designed to help us achieve our emissions reduction goals and empower the trade industry to put environmentally responsible practices into action.
In this section:
Planning and monitoring
Every five years, we conduct a port-wide emissions inventory to estimate air emissions from marine, rail, on-road and off-road equipment, and administrative activities associated with the Port of Vancouver. The inventory allows us to identify trends and prioritize emission reduction efforts.
We collaborate with regional government and other partners to monitor the concentration of contaminants in the air. This monitoring helps us:
- Better understand the impact of port activities on local air quality
- Prioritize the steps to help reduce port-related air emissions
Together with port stakeholders and First Nations, we are developing a plan to inform our efforts to phase out port-related emissions by 2050. When complete, the plan will identify:
- Key actions and timelines needed to reduce emissions from port-related activities, including from ships, trucks, railways, cargo-handling equipment
- Roles for the port authority to support customer and supply chain decarbonization efforts
Marine initiatives
Our EcoAction incentive program recognizes shipping lines that make voluntary investments in fuel, technology, or environmental management by offering up to 75% off harbour due rates. Shipping lines with the greatest fleet-wide participation in the program are recognized and celebrated with our annual Blue Circle Awards.
For more information about the EcoAction program please contact ecoaction@portvancouver.com.
We offer shore power connections at the Canada Place cruise terminal and the Centerm and Deltaport container terminals. Shore power helps reduce emissions by allowing ships to connect to the hydroelectric grid while at berth.
More than 38,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions have been prevented since shore power was introduced at the Port of Vancouver in 2009 – the equivalent of taking nearly 7,000 gasoline-powered cars off the road for one year. Shore power had also helped prevent nearly 1,000 tonnes of air contaminants, which reduces impacts on local communities.
We are working to facilitate the use of alternative marine fuels that reduce ship emissions, including:
- Biofuels
- Liquefied natural gas (LNG)
- Methanol
- Ammonia
- Hydrogen
We are also members of the Society for Gas as a Marine Fuel (SGMF) which supports the use of low and zero emission alternative marine fuels and the safe transition to using these fuels within the industry.
Terminals and tenants
We maintain minimum environmental performance requirements for container trucks accessing the port as part of our Truck Licensing System. We also work with terminal operators and trucking companies to improve the efficiency of container operations and reduce truck idling.
Our Non-Road Diesel Emissions (NRDE) Program requires tenants to report and label all non-road diesel equipment and pay fees on older, higher emission equipment. When older equipment is replaced, upgraded, or retrofitted, up to 90% of the fees paid are rebated back to the tenant, provided they have a fuel efficiency plan in place.
For more information about the NRDE Program, please contact NRDE@portvancouver.com.
In partnership with the regional electricity provider, BC Hydro, we connect our port terminal operators and tenants with an energy manager through the Energy Action initiative to provide expertise, support and access to BC Hydro financial incentives to advance and implement energy management projects. Financial incentives are available to support identification, advancement and implementation of opportunities to reduce a participating facility’s operational costs and emissions, including:
- Energy efficiency
- Electrification
- Renewable electricity generation
- Load management
Participating facilities may also be eligible for recognition through our annual Blue Circle Awards for demonstrating leadership in energy action.
For more information or to apply to participate in Energy Action, please contact Manish Soni, energy management specialist by email at manish.soni@portvancouver.com or phone at 604.404.4441.
Collaborative climate and air quality action
Collaboration is essential to making progress on climate change mitigation and to protect air quality. In addition to running our own environmental programs and initiatives, we collaborate with industry, government and other ports to reduce greenhouse gas and air contaminant emissions.
We are one of 200 members of the Getting to Zero Coalition—a partnership between the Global Maritime Forum, the Friends of Ocean Action and the World Economic Forum—working to accelerate decarbonization of shipping, with commercially viable ocean-going ships by 2030 and towards full decarbonization by 2050.
As a member of the International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH), we participate in the:
- Climate and Energy Committee: we provide input to the global maritime policymaking body, the International Maritime Organization, on sustainability best practices and the clean energy transition
- Clean Marine Fuels Work Group: we contribute to the development of practical tools that facilitate safe and efficient bunker operations within ports for both conventional and alternative marine fuels
We are one of twelve global ports working together through the World Ports Climate Action Program to create synergies in shipping and port decarbonization through knowledge sharing and project partnerships.
The Low-Emission Technology Initiative is a joint funding partnership between the port authority and the Province of British Columbia to promote the trial and adoption of low and zero-emission fuels and technologies at the Port of Vancouver. The initiative helps fund pilot projects intended to accelerate the transition away from fossil-fuel-powered equipment at the Port of Vancouver by demonstrating the effectiveness of low-emission alternatives.
As a founding member of the new North Pacific Green Corridor Consortium (NPGCC), we lend our expertise to the development of a decarbonized bulk supply chain corridor between Canada’s west coast and Japan and South Korea. A green corridor is defined as a shipping route where low and zero greenhouse gas emission solutions are demonstrated and supported through collaboration across sectors to accelerate maritime decarbonization.
The Pacific Northwest to Alaska Green Corridor is a collaborative effort by ports, major cruise lines and non-government organizations (NGOs) to explore the creation of a cruise green corridor between Washington, British Columbia and Alaska. A green corridor is defined as a shipping route where low and zero greenhouse gas emission solutions are demonstrated and supported through collaboration across sectors to accelerate maritime decarbonization.
The impacts of climate change, including sea level rise and extreme weather events, present a significant risk to ecosystems, coastal cities, and trade-enabling infrastructure and port operations. We are working to improve the Port of Vancouver’s resilience to climate change by:
- Identifying and assessing climate risks and vulnerabilities
- Creating a climate adaptation action plan
- Developing flood maps that model scenarios of sea level rise across our jurisdiction
- Collaborating with terminals, tenants, government, Indigenous groups, and non-government organizations to build understanding of climate risks and advance climate adaptation planning
If you have questions or would like more information about our climate action work, please contact environmentalprograms@portvancouver.com.
Read our sustainability report to learn more about how we’re advancing sustainability at the port authority, the Port of Vancouver, and across the maritime sector.