Port recognized for emissions reporting

The Port of Portland achieved Climate Registered status, a designation given to organization who join The Climate Registry and measure, publicly report and third-party verify their greenhouse gas inventory — also known as a carbon footprint.

The port has been a member of The Climate Registry since it was formed in 2008. At that time the port conducted a comprehensive inventory of greenhouse gas emissions from its aviation, marine and industrial development activities and got it verified by an independent reviewer.

"We've set ambitious goals for minimizing the port's impact on air quality," said David Breen, the environmental air quality program manager at the Port of Portland in a press release. "Our goals are to reduce the port's direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions by 15 percent below 1990 levels by 2020 and to reduce diesel particulate matter from port-controlled operations by 25 percent from 2000 baseline levels by 2015."

The largest source of port-controlled emissions — about 52 percent — comes from purchased electricity. The port has been increasing its purchase of certified renewable electricity and plans to reach 100 percent certified renewable power by next year.

The port's greenhouse gas inventory is available online via the Climate Registry, a nonprofit that runs the only voluntary carbon footprint registry in North America.