Gard Highlights Change to California Emissions Regulations

by Ship & Bunker News Team
Monday February 20, 2023

Insurance firm Gard has highlighted recent changes to California's emissions regulations for shipping that came into force at the start of the year.

As of January 1, all vessels arriving in California must now submit a report to the California Air Resources Board after visiting a marine terminal in the US state.

However, on January 20 CARB granted an extension to reporting requirements that means the first reports will not need to be submitted until April 1, 2023.

The latest requirement builds on the current '2020 At-berth Regulation' which itself is an expansion of the previous at-berth regulations.

"As a general principle, all ocean-going vessels are subject to the 2020 At Berth Regulation. However, and as detailed in our alert Prepare for tougher at-berth emissions reductions in California, only container, reefer, passenger, ro-ro, and tanker vessels must use a CARB Approved Emission Control Strategy (CAECS) while at berth," Gard said in a note on its website.

Certain exemptions exist for low activity terminals.

CARB has an FAQ for the regulation here: https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/resources/documents/berth-regulation-frequently-asked-questions-faq