About 165 key stakeholders from the marine and energy industries will convene in Long Beach, California this week to debate on shipping's CO2 emission at the Marine Fuel Sustainability forum.

The conference, to be held from October 24 - 26, follows previous forums in San Francisco in 2005 and Copenhagen in 2006 organised by Bunkerworld. Speakers at the conference include port authorities, technology companies and representatives from government agencies such as the European Commission, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the California Air Resources Board (CARB). "The marine and shipping sectors are a tremendous part of creating a sustainable environment and economy," said Wayne Nastri, Administrator for the Pacific Southwest Region, U.S. EPA. Overall emissions from shipping are very much at the fore amidst new evidence that shipping emits about 1.2 billion tons of CO2 a year, almost double the amount released by the aviation industry. "It is vital that we work together to reduce all emissions to improve the health of our local, state, federal, and international communities," added Nastri, who will be the forum's keynote speaker. Other presenters include port authorities from Long Beach, Los Angeles, and Seattle, marine fuel suppliers, and technology companies with innovative ideas to reduce ship emissions.

Mario Cordero, Port of Long Beach Harbor Commission President, will grace the conference with a welcome address. This year's event will also be preceded by the West Coast Collaborative Marine and Ports Working Group Meeting on October 24. For further information please visit www.westcoastcollaborative.org