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The Port of Seattle yesterday won Seattle Business Magazine's Green 50 award for its environmental initiatives, which includes the At-Berth Clean (ABC) Fuels Vessel Incentive Program.

The award is given to local businesses and institutions that "deserve recognition for believing that forthright stewardship of our resources is good business." The port won the award in the Government/Academia category.

"Seattle sets a high bar for environmental standards nationally. Being recognized as a local environmental leader for our efforts means a lot," said Stephanie Jones Stebbins, Director of Seaport Environmental and Planning Programs at the Port of Seattle. "We are honored to win this award from Seattle Business Magazine."

The Port of Seattle won the award based on green initiatives at both the seaport and the airport. The ABC Fuels Program was set up to meet the goals of the Northwest Ports Clean Air Strategy, a joint effort by the ports of Seattle, Tacoma and Vancouver (Canada) and their private sector partners to reduce maritime related air emissions. The Clean Air Strategy establishes specific goals and dates for reducing emissions from ships, cargo-handling equipment and trucks that move cargo to and from the ports.

ABC Fuels provides a financial incentive of $2,250 to shipping lines that use low-sulphur fuels while berthed in Seattle's harbor. ABC Fuels recently celebrated its 800th vessel call and is said to have removed approximately 500 metric tonnes of sulphur emissions from Seattle's harbor.

Participating carriers in ABC Fuels include Hapag Lloyd, APL, China Ocean Shipping Company (COSCO), Evergreen Line, Hamburg Süd, Maersk Line, Matson Navigation, Norwegian Cruise Line and Princess Cruise Line.

Other environmental programs at the airport and seaport include the creation of a centralized preconditioned air system for aircraft parked at gates at Sea-Tac International Airport, leading the effort for the Sustainable Aviation Fuels Northwest (SAFN) project, and the Scrappage and Retrofits for Air in Puget Sound (ScRAPS) program.

The panel of judges determining the awards included: Joan Crooks, Executive Director, Washington Environmental Council; Marc Daudon, Principal, Cascadia Consulting Group; Alan Durning, Executive Director, Sightline Institute; Jim Hanna, Director of Environmental Impact, Starbucks; Ross Macfarlane, senior advisor, Climate Solutions; and Jon Naimon, Managing Director, Light Green Advisors, LLC.