US lawmakers propose twin bills to tackle maritime pollution

July 18, 2025, by Sara Kosmajac

Two United States lawmakers have introduced a pair of bills aimed at cutting down on dangerous air pollution within the maritime transport industry.

As disclosed, on July 10, California-representing US Senator Alex Padilla reintroduced the Clean Shipping Act of 2025, led by House Representative Robert Garcia, targeting greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction from shipping to preserve the health of port communities and tackle the environmental injustice impacts of the climate crisis.

Padilla also co-leads the International Maritime Pollution Accountability Act, led by Rhode Island-representing Senator Sheldon Whitehouse and House Representatives, California’s Doris Matsui and Kevin Mullin. The bill seeks to slash emissions by imposing a pollution fee on large marine ships offloading cargo at American ports to fund decarbonization efforts in the US maritime economy.

“California’s ports are the powerhouse of our country’s economy, moving critical freight and providing good-paying jobs, all while leading the nation’s decarbonizing efforts. But neighboring communities have been forced to shoulder the brunt of global shipping pollution for too long. Our legislation would strengthen the sustainability of our shipping industry by reducing emissions in maritime transportation while simultaneously protecting coastal communities,” Senator Padilla highlighted.

“As climate change destroys lives and drives up costs for families, we need an all-hands-on-deck approach to avoid the worst consequences for communities, businesses, and the environment,” Whitehouse, who is Ranking Member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, further commented.

“Encouragingly, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has put forward a global carbon price on shipping emissions. This legislation reinforces that work, further cutting harmful emissions while supporting the maritime innovators that are pioneering clean technologies to protect public health and can help put us on course to climate safety.”

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The Clean Shipping Act: A closer look

As informed, the Clean Shipping Act of 2025 would set a path to eradicate GHG emissions from the operations of all ocean shipping players that do business with the United States. It envisages directing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish progressively tighter carbon intensity stipulations for fuels used by vessels. The overarching ambition is to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, in line with the Paris Agreement to limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

The bill has reportedly been endorsed by numerous industry players as well as non-governmental organizations.

To be precise, the act would direct the EPA to:

set standards that would require lifecycle carbon dioxide-equivalent reductions of 30% from January 1, 2030; 58% from January 1, 2034; 83% from January 1, 2040; 92% by January 1, 2045, and net-zero by 2050, with 2027 acting as the baseline year;
set requirements to eliminate in-port ship emissions, whereby, by January 1, 2035, all vessels at-berth or at-anchor in US ports would emit zero GHG emissions and zero air pollutant emissions.

“Our nation’s ports, particularly the Port of Long Beach, are crucial parts of the economy that drive our supply chain at home. However, they’re also among the largest sources of pollution in our coastal communities,” House Representative Garcia remarked.

“That’s why I’m proud to introduce a bill that addresses greenhouse gas pollution and creates a path to fully eliminate emissions. We must protect people’s health and stop our climate crisis, while ensuring good-paying jobs for the future,” he added.

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Moving the spotlight to the Accountability Act

The International Maritime Pollution Accountability Act, which has also been supported by a set of maritime industry companies and organizations, would endeavor to:

impose a pollution fee on the biggest marine ships dropping off cargo at American ports, thus incentivizing the development and application of cleaner marine fuels;
levy a $150 per ton fee on the carbon emission of fuel burned on an inbound trip as well as fees for nitrogen oxides (NOx), totaling $6.30 per pound, sulfur dioxide (SOx), amounting to $18 per pound, and particle pollution (PM2.5), which imposes a $38.90 per pound fee.

As divulged, the fees would apply only to ships with 5,000 gross tonnage or more, excluding most of the domestic sector. Additionally, it is understood that the fee on carbon emissions would sunset if the IMO implemented and enforced a fee on GHG emissions of marine shipping that was equal to or greater than the $150 per ton fee levied in the bill.

What is more, the act would seek to provide funding to modernize the Jones Act fleet with low-carbon ships, revitalizing and electrifying US shipbuilding, and tackling (and slashing) pollutants in port communities, along the coastline and in the ocean.

Efforts to eliminate the stumbling blocks of the United States shipbuilding industry have been made ‘across the board’, too, with President Donald Trump’s administration revealing intentions to kickstart a designated Office for Shipbuilding at the White House, among other initiatives that would see the revamping and strengthening of the manufacturing capacity of what was once the world’s leading vessel construction nation.

“Across the port” approach

California is home to some of the biggest ports in the United States (Port of Los Angeles, Port of Long Beach), making the Golden State a ‘critical hub’ for maritime trade. The ports’ importance has also placed them at the front of an array of efforts to reduce emissions and meet climate goals through alternative fuels, electrification, investing in other zero-emission technologies, et cetera.

Last year, Senator Padilla announced over $1 billion in EPA funding across seven California ports to build zero-emission infrastructure and implement climate and air quality management plans. The funding came through the Clean Ports Program, which is backed by the Inflation Reduction Act.

Among the winners of the funding were the Port of Los Angeles, the Port of San Diego, the Port of Oakland, as well as ports on the other side of the country, including the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) and others.

In 2023, Senator Padilla also announced $74.5 million from the Department of Transportation Maritime Administration to decarbonize, upgrade, and rehabilitate key ports along California’s coast.

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