The United States, as chair of the Summit of the Americas process, convened Summit governments on March 1 on the margin of the Our Ocean Conference in Panama to exchange experiences and discuss ideas to support green shipping and strengthen coastal ecosystems. Participants discussed implementing commitments on Our Sustainable Green Future made in Los Angeles on June 9, 2022, at the Ninth Summit. Sue Biniaz, Deputy Special Envoy for Climate Change and Maxine Burkett, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Oceans, Fisheries, and Polar Affairs, chaired the meeting. Diana Laguna Caicedo, Vice Minister of Environment of Panama, and Rosilena Lindo Riggs, Under Secretary of Energy of Panama, made opening remarks. The Panama Canal Authority, the Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller Center for Zero Carbon Shipping, and Conservation International presented recommendations to governments.

To address the climate crisis, the countries of the Americas were urged to take actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from shipping. If shipping were a “country,” it would rank amongst the top 10 largest emitters globally. The countries of the Americas were also urged to protect and restore blue carbon ecosystems, such as mangroves, salt marshes, sea grass beds, and river grass beds, which can sequester as much as five times the carbon as terrestrial forests per unit area while protecting coastlines from climate impacts and supporting biodiversity. Access more information on the Summit of the Americas on LinkedIn.

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