The Los Angeles Board of Harbor Commissioners on Nov. 20, 2025 unanimously approved a cooperative agreement with the South Coast Air Quality Management District, the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach to speed development and deployment of zero-emission technology and infrastructure across both ports, the company said in a news release.
The pact covers all major emission sources, including cargo-handling equipment, harbor craft, trucks, trains and ocean-going vessels.
The agreement, already approved earlier in November by South Coast AQMD and the Port of Long Beach, requires both ports to produce zero-emission infrastructure plans in three phases, beginning with a draft in May 2027.
Approved plans for all emission categories must be completed by the end of 2029.
Los Angeles Harbor Commission President Lucille Roybal-Allard said the framework allows the port and its tenants to address “complex challenges inherent in transitioning to zero-emission technology and infrastructure,” while maintaining accountability and transparency.
South Coast AQMD will monitor progress through annual reports and regular updates to its Governing Board. Penalties for noncompliance by the ports range from $50,000 to $200,000 per default, with funds directed to projects in communities near the ports.
The agreement expands on the ports’ Clean Air Action Plan, a voluntary program launched in 2006. Since then, the Port of Los Angeles has reduced diesel particulate matter by 90%, sulfur oxides by 98% and nitrogen oxides by 73%. Per 10,000 containers handled, emissions of these pollutants have fallen by 93%, 99% and 81%. The ports and South Coast AQMD are also working on new “CAAP-Plus” measures targeting emissions from ocean-going vessels, with a review expected in Spring 2026.
South Coast AQMD is a public agency responsible for regulating stationary air pollution sources across the South Coast Air Basin in Southern California. It operates under state and federal air quality laws and oversees enforcement, permitting and air-quality planning for the region.
The Port of Los Angeles is a landlord port owned by the City of Los Angeles and administered by the Los Angeles Harbor Department. It serves as a major North American gateway for trans-Pacific trade and manages terminal leases, property and maritime operations within the San Pedro Bay complex.
The Port of Long Beach is a department of the City of Long Beach and functions as a landlord seaport. It is one of the largest container ports in the United States and operates adjacent to the Port of Los Angeles within the San Pedro Bay port complex.
