Template revised April 12, 2018.
COMMISSION
AGENDA MEMORANDUM
Item No. 8l
ACTION ITEM Date of Meeting February 11, 2025
DATE: January 23, 2025
TO: Stephen P. Metruck, Executive Director
FROM: Melissa Parks, Government Relations Manager, Maritime Sustainability
SUBJECT: 2025 International Policy Agenda
ACTION REQUESTED
Commission Adoption of the 2025 International Policy Agenda.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Port of Seattle Commissioners, executive team members, and internal subject-matter experts are
engaging internationally to build relationships, share the opportunities and challenges of
operating maritime and aviation gateways, and advocate in support of Port goals that are beyond
our direct authority. This memo updates the Port’s international policy priorities to guide and
inform our engagement for 2025.
DETAIL
Driven by the Century Agenda, the Port is working to achieve ambitious goals that maintain Puget
Sound as a premier international gateway for commerce and tourism that benefits the region
while ensuring equity, sustainability, and quality of life for our region’s residents. The Port of
Seattle also strives to be a welcoming environment for our communities, visitors, and businesses.
While the Port can upgrade and modify our facilities, we have limited control over the
commercial aircraft and maritime vessels that utilize our gateway. We need international
standards and cooperation to fully achieve these goals and others.
International diplomacy is in a state of change. For the past few years, we have experienced rising
global tensions and escalating conflicts regionally in Central Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.
Global diplomatic instability could make it more difficult for cooperation and progress on global
international policy goals and commitments. In addition, a change in Administrations and control
of Congress means different policy goals and diplomatic priorities at the federal level. Ports,
however, have our own relationships and continue to convene to discuss global policy goals,
share best practices, and identify solutions for achieving shared commitments and overcoming
challenges. The Port has the opportunity to continue to lean into direct diplomacy with sister
ports and other strategic ports, business partners, and international associations and
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Meeting Date: February 11, 2025
Template revised September 22, 2016.
organizations to continue to demonstrate how our local actions and investments are progressing
international policy goals.
Success of these international priorities will be achieved through highlighting the Port’s
continued local investments as well as engagement with international ports, the United States
Government, industry associations, private industry, and non-governmental organizations.
Following Commission feedback on these draft policy priorities, staff will revise and bring final
proposed international priorities for full Commission approval.
2025 INTERNATIONAL POLICY PRIORITIES
Promote Transparency, Collaboration, and Consistency
Encourage transparency and broad engagement in developing globally consistent
standards and policies for aviation and maritime industries to promote public
awareness, industry alignment, and certainty for planning and effective implementation.
Coordinate with The Northwest Seaport Alliance on international maritime engagement.
Promote collaboration, share best practices and challenges, and foster relationships to
develop comprehensive solutions to complex global issues and help achieve our goals
by engaging in key international forums such as the International Civilian Aviation
Organization (ICAO), International Maritime Organization (IMO), United Nations Climate
Conference of Parties; with international partners including our sister ports, particularly,
Busan, Kobe, Rotterdam, and Singapore; and industry associations and non-government
organizations including Airports Council International, International Association of Ports
and Harbours (IAPH), and Getting to Zero Coalition.
Promote Equity, Environmental Justice, and Sustainable Development
Promote the adoption of principles and values by international organizations that
commit them to equity, environmental justice, and sustainable development, as well as
engaging communities most impacted by industries associated with port operations.
Actively seek opportunities to partner with other organizations in achieving equity and
environmental justice goals.
Advocate for policies, programs, projects, and investments that advance equity, support
environmental and economic justice, and implement the United Nations’ Sustainable
Development Goals and United Nations Development Program’s Environmental Justice
Technical Report. Solutions must be co-developed with and center the experiences and
voices of the communities most impacted.
Respecting the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
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Support the United Nations’ Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the
ways it works to uphold and defend Tribal Sovereignty.
Addressing Climate Change and Reducing Air Emissions
Support robust and immediate climate action, policies, and initiatives, like the Paris
Agreement and Clydebank Declaration, that demonstrate ambitious, feasible, and
equitable approaches to mitigate climate changing factors and prepare for climate
impacts, even if the United States is no longer a party to such agreements.
Encourage international organizations to incorporate environmental justice principles
into their climate policy that are people-centered, developed with impacted
communities, and seeks mitigation as well as better quality of life for communities who
are experiencing the burden of climate change.
Support data-informed decision-making based on scientific information (quantitative
and qualitative) and lived experiences; progress reporting; and information sharing on
global climate impacts and mitigation and adaptation strategies relevant to the Port, King
County, or the Pacific Northwest.
Monitor international developments of standards for safe handling and storage of
emerging alternative aviation and maritime fuels, such as hydrogen and methanol, as
well as new technologies at the ICAO and IMO. Provide input on issues that could impact
worker and community safety and airport and seaport operations.
Support ICAO implementation of policy instruments, including the Carbon Offsetting
and Reduction Scheme (CORSIA), to achieve net zero aviation emissions by 2050 and
encourage investments that accelerate the uptake and supply of Sustainable Aviation
Fuel.
(1) Monitor developments related to emissions and other aviation environmental
impacts within the ICAO Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection (CAEP)
that assists the ICAO Council in formulating new policies and adopting new
Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) related to emissions, and more
generally to aviation environmental impact.
Support the IMO’s adoption of policies to reduce climate and air pollution emissions
from commercial shipping by 2050 including:
(1) Global maritime fuel standard that reduces the intensity of greenhouse gas
emissions in fuel over time and meets sustainability criteria.
(2) Economic measures that create a level playing field globally and incentivizes the
supply and use of low and zero emission maritime fuels.
(3) Ports as an eligible entity to receive future emissions revenue.
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(4) Just Transition policy that works to equitably distribute gains and reduces the risk
to developing countries in the transition to low and zero emission fuels.
Encourage review of the IMO’s Carbon Intensity Indicator with revisions that account for
different ship operational profiles and overall reduced energy demand on ships.
Encourage knowledge sharing between Green Shipping Corridors and their international
partners to accelerate supply and uptake of low and zero greenhouse gas emission fuels
and maximize participation by ports and ships. Engage the U.S federal government and
other international governing bodies in these conversations.
Contribute to efforts coordinated by IAPH to standardize shore power connections
and power distribution differences to increase interoperability between ports and ships
and increase connection rates.
Monitor development of international standards for offshore wind and other
alternative energy developments; and encourage collaboration in standards between
governments and leading international developers to reduce barriers to deployment.
Support the development of offshore wind and alternative energy supply chains that
prioritize low greenhouse gas emissions, economic development, and social equity.
Reducing Aviation and Maritime Noise
Monitor and support developments to reduce noise from commercial aircraft by the
ICAO Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection (CAEP), including through aircraft
technology and airport operational best practices.
Support the IMO’s voluntary guidelines to reduce underwater noise from ships and
share experiences and outcomes from the Port of Seattle’s efforts to help inform uptake
and use of the guidelines.
Improving Water Quality/Marine Health
Monitor the IMO’s development of standards for the discharge of wash water from
exhaust gas cleaning systems and the use of risk and impact assessments to inform
decisions about restrictions or limits to wash water discharge.
Encourage awareness of, and actions to reduce, ocean acidification impacts to global
marine ecosystems, communities, and associated industries. Share Port research on local,
nature-based carbon remediation including kelp and eelgrass enhancement, with
international partners through the International Alliance to Combat Ocean Acidification.
Combat and Reduce Human Trafficking
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Monitor and encourage efforts at ICAO, the IMO, and other international organizations
we engage with to increase awareness of and combat human trafficking in aviation and
maritime industries and share the Port’s experience with supporting the national
awareness campaign. Highlight the Port’s public-private partnership with local
organizations to combat human trafficking. Seek opportunities to partner and expand this
work in preparation for hosting the 2025 Club World Cup and 2026 World Cup.
Support Sustainable Tourism
Support the Global Sustainable Tourism Council and similar organization’s best
practices that balance the environmental, social, cultural, and economic aspects of
tourism and share the Port’s, and our Washington tourism partners’, sustainable and
inclusive tourism best practices.
ATTACHMENTS
(1) Presentation
PREVIOUS COMMISSION ACTIONS OR BRIEFINGS
January 14, 2025 – The Commission was briefed on the draft 2025 International Policy Agenda
February 27, 2024 – The Commission approved the 2024 International Policy Agenda
February 3, 2024 – The Commission was briefed on the draft 2024 International Policy Agenda
