WASHINGTON– Today, Representative Robert Garcia and Senator Alex Padilla introduced the Clean Shipping Act. Caroline Bonfield, Ocean Conservancy’s Shipping Emissions U.S. Policy Manager, issued the following statement in response:

“In order to protect our ocean and stay competitive with the rest of the world, we need federal leadership to help modernize and clean up U.S. shipping. By driving the shipping sector to develop, scale and deploy zero-emission technologies, we can spur job creation, help tackle the climate crisis and help create cleaner air for the millions of Americans living near ports. We commend Representative Garcia and Senator Padilla for their leadership on this issue and look forward to working with members of Congress to make this bill a reality.”

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ABOUT THE BILL 

The legislation would set a path to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions from all ocean shipping companies that do business with the U.S., giving the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) the authority to regulate carbon intensity standards for maritime fuel. 

Ocean Conservancy endorsed the Clean Shipping Act when it was first introduced in 2023, and the organization’s shipping policy experts have since worked closely with the offices to refine the scope of the legislation. 

ABOUT OCEAN CONSERVANCY  

Ocean Conservancy is working to protect the ocean from today’s greatest global challenges. Together, we create evidence-based solutions for a healthy ocean and the wildlife and communities that depend on it. For more information, visit oceanconservancy.org, or follow us on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) or Instagram.