Port and Freight Decarbonization

UC Berkeley Environmental Resilience Accelerator (ERA)

As part of CEPP's port decarbonization effort we will be holding a conference on October 28, 2019. To find out more information or to register for the 2019 Philomathia Forum: Port & Freight Decarbonization click here.

The University of California has long been a leader in transportation research and policy innovation, particularly in relation to transportation planning, urban mobility design, and passenger vehicle electrification.  The Goldman School’s Environmental Center proposes to extend this work to address decarbonization opportunities in freight and maritime port operations.

Changes in heavy-duty electric-drive technology, evolution of regional and international shipping practices, and policy developments on global climate create an urgent need for policy and market-relevant research to accelerate goods-movement decarbonization.  UC Berkeley and other UC Campuses have a unique opportunity to simultaneously abate climate pollution, transform markets for low carbon transport and improve environmental justice through research and policy development work.

One venue for this work is the Port of Oakland and surrounding neighborhoods.  The Port of Oakland is an important regional economic engine, and a major source of both air-toxics and climate pollution.  Port operations are continually evolving in response to changes in technology, governmental policy and markets.  State climate policies and financial incentives are driving change in trucking, shipping and other freight industries.  Those pressures currently present an important opportunity to reduce pollution emissions at the Port of Oakland and other California ports and to achieve long term cost reductions for freight transport.  

Another new driver of change is California’s recent legislation on elimination of air pollution hot spots.  The Port of Oakland is located near minority neighborhoods have long suffered elevated exposure to diesel emissions from trucking and freight handling equipment.  Diesel emissions include toxic particulates, and greenhouse gases (CO2, ozone precursors and black carbon).  While some progress has been made to reduce exposure to diesel particulate matter, more work is needed to protect health of populations living near ports, freight and warehouse operations and to reduce the carbon footprint of goods movement.

Recent air quality monitoring and health data have confirmed adverse health impacts from air pollution exposure in these neighborhoods.  These studies coincide with passage of new CA legislation designed to achieve social justice and health benefits through abatement of air pollution hot spots.  West Oakland has been designated as one of the first communities for pollution abatement planning under the new law (AB617).  This pollution abatement planning process will produce an emission and exposure reduction plan in late 2019.

The development of this plan coincides with recent revisions to, and implementation of the Port of Oakland’s Air Quality 2020 and Beyond Plan.  The plan calls for action to put the Port on a pathway to zero emissions.  Critical implementation steps will begin in late 2019 through 2021.  The Center submitted comments on the draft plan, met with Port Staff and Commissioners to discuss ways to strengthen the zero emission commitment.  This work was undertaken in close partnership with the West Oakland Environmental Indictors project (a prominent environmental justice organization) and with the Bay Area Air Quality Management District (BAAMQD, the state agency responsible for air quality in the San Francisco Bay region.)

Intersecting trends in technology, Environmental Justice policy, and climate also create openings for a University/Corporate partnerships on research to drive needed changes in trucking and freight operations.  For example, heavy duty truck manufacturers and state agencies need information on truck fleet duty-cycles in order to focus marketing and incentives for new heavy duty electric vehicles being introduced in 2019-2021.  Port managers, terminal operators and fleet operators need up-to-date information on availability and cost of new electric-drive vehicles and supporting equipment.  The objective of these partnerships is to facilitate a regional market transformation toward a lower cost and low carbon transport sector, while reducing air pollution exposure and climate pollution in short and long term.

Find out more about our partnership with ERA: http://era.berkeley.edu