The Northwest Seaport Alliance (NWSA), Port of Seattle and Port of Tacoma are excited to launch the Northwest Clean Ports website, designed to provide clear, accessible information and track progress on efforts to reduce air and climate emissions from seaport-related operations.
The site, nwcleanports.com, is a first-of-its-kind regional web portal. It is a consolidated repository of the goals, strategies, and actions across three port entities - Port of Seattle, Port of Tacoma, and the NWSA - aimed at lowering maritime emissions, improving regional air quality, reducing environmental health disparities in near-port communities, and contributing to local and global climate solutions.
“As we updated our clean air strategy and implementation plan, we heard clearly from partners and community stakeholders that people want easier access to information about how ports are reducing emissions and building a more sustainable future. This new web portal is one way we’re responding – by making that information easier to find, understand, and share,” stated Port of Seattle Commission President and NWSA Co-Chair Ryan Calkins.
Northwest Clean Ports was designed to provide businesses and community members with a transparent and user-friendly way to access information, data and timelines related to each port’s implementation of the Northwest Ports Clean Air Strategy (NWPCAS). First adopted in 2008, the NWPCAS is one of the first voluntary, multi-port environmental partnerships of its kind. It creates a unified approach to improving air quality and address climate impacts across the Puget Sound airshed which begins at the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The 2020 update established a vision to phase out all seaport-related emissions by 2050, supporting clean air for local communities and contributing to global efforts to limit temperature rise.
In the five years since adoption, the Ports have advanced the 2050 NWPCAS vision through a combination of collaborative efforts and sector-specific strategies, informed by each Port’s individual implementation plans.
The Northwest Clean Ports site features a progress dashboard that highlights accomplishments to date, outlines near-term actions and milestones from each port’s implementation plan, and tracks the status of individual initiatives. It also provides a comprehensive overview of efforts across maritime sectors – from the big ships calling on our gateway daily to the heavy-duty trucks and railcars that haul cargo to and from out of terminals in Seattle and Tacoma - along with shared strategies to address challenges and advance sustainable outcomes across the gateway.
“Together, the ports are making progress toward a larger goal of connecting our region to the world through cargo movement that creates zero or near-zero emissions. This web portal brings information together in one place so it’s easier for the public to follow our progress, understand our challenges, and stay engaged with one of the most important parts of our mission – caring for the natural resources that make this work possible,” stated Port of Tacoma Commission President and NWSA Co-Chair Dick Marzano.
These tools provide a clear, shared view of how the gateway is advancing its clean air and climate goals. By bringing data, progress and key initiatives into one accessible platform, NWCleanPorts.com reinforces the ports’ commitment to transparency, accountability, and continued collaboration, offering stakeholders a way to stay informed as we work together toward a more sustainable maritime future.