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Legislators

Senators Introduce Bills to Reduce Air Pollution from Shipping Industry

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

U.S. Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) introduced two bills to reduce air pollution from the shipping industry. The Clean Shipping Act of 2025 and the International Maritime Pollution Accountability Act aim to address the significant greenhouse gas emissions and air pollutants emitted by the shipping industry, which disproportionately affect port communities.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Clean Shipping Act of 2025 aims to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions from all ocean shipping companies that do business with the United States by 2050.
  • The bill would direct the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to set progressively tighter carbon intensity standards for fuels used by ships, requiring lifecycle carbon dioxide-equivalent reductions of 30 percent from January 1, 2030, and 100 percent from January 1, 2050.
  • The bill would also require ships to eliminate in-port emissions by 2035.
  • The International Maritime Pollution Accountability Act would impose a pollution fee on large marine vessels offloading cargo at U.S. ports to drive industry-wide decarbonization efforts.
  • The fee would be $150 per ton of carbon emissions, $6.30 per pound of nitrogen oxides, $18 per pound of sulfur dioxide, and $38.90 per pound of particulate matter (PM2.5).
  • The bill would provide critical funding to modernize the Jones Act fleet with low-carbon vessels, revitalize and electrify U.S. shipbuilding, and address and reduce pollutants in America's port communities.
  • The bills have been endorsed by various industry leaders and NGOs, including ABB, Evolve Hydrogen Inc., Maritime Battery Forum, and Zero Emissions Ship Technology Association, as well as Breathe Southern California, CleanEarth4Kids.org, and Sierra Club.

Statistics:

  • The global shipping industry emits approximately one billion tons of greenhouse gas emissions per year, roughly 3% of total anthropogenic global-warming carbon-dioxide emissions (International Maritime Organization 2020 GHG Study).
  • The shipping industry's greenhouse gas emissions could more than double between 2018 and 2050, posing a significant threat to the environment and public health.
  • Approximately 40% of Americans live within three miles of a port, making them particularly vulnerable to the negative impacts of shipping pollution.

Sources:

  • [Senator Alex Padilla's Official Press Release](https://www.padilla senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/invasive-legislation-to-reduce-emissions-from-shipping-industry)
  • [International Maritime Organization 2020 GHG Study](https://www.imo.org/en/OurWork/Environment/Documents/GHG_Study_Final_Report.pdf)
  • [Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Press Release](https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-funds-clean-ports-program-improve-air-quality-and-reduce-greenhouse-gas-emissions)
  • [Clean Shipping Act of 2025 Full Text](https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/1234/text)
  • [International Maritime Pollution Accountability Act Full Text](https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/1235/text)

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