The Port of Seattle, City and Borough of Juneau, and Vancouver Fraser Port Authority together with leading global cruise lines will cooperate to initiate the world’s first cruise-led green corridor.

The partnership is aimed at exploring the feasibility of a green corridor to accelerate the deployment of zero greenhouse gas emission ships and operations between Alaska, British Columbia, and Washington.

The First Mover Commitment was announced during the International Association of Ports and Harbors World Ports Conference in Vancouver, British Columbia.

The partners have agreed to:

• Work together to explore the feasibility of a green corridor in the Pacific Northwest of North America, including, but not limited to, further defining the scope and application of this concept;
• Enhance and support the emission-reduction efforts already underway and use the green corridor as a testbed for low and zero greenhouse gas technologies and ships, as feasible; and
• Work collaboratively to define the governance structures, terms, and frameworks needed to guide the regional effort.

“These first movers are coming together around the need to address the most pressing issue of our time — climate change,” said Port of Seattle Commissioner Fred Felleman.

“By exploring the development of a Green Corridor, we’re bringing resources and technological advancements to this region where commercially viable zero greenhouse gas emissions ships may sail that much sooner.

“We’re not naïve about the challenges ahead. But we recognise the urgency to act as we transition to an inclusive blue economy that works for the climate, commerce, and communities alike.”

The project supports the Clydebank Declaration signed by 24 countries in 2021 to support the establishment of at least six green corridors by 2025 and follows industry’s efforts to a net-zero transition.