Port of San Diego Taps PortXchange to Close Emissions Data Gap With New Decarbonization Pilot

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The Port of San Diego is taking another step toward its decarbonization ambitions by selecting PortXchange’s EmissionInsider platform as the latest project in its Blue Economy Incubator programme. The pilot aims to strengthen emissions monitoring and provide the port with a clearer picture of where greenhouse gas emissions originate across its operations, supporting more informed environmental decision making.

The agreement, approved by the Port of San Diego Board of Port Commissioners on June 23, 2026, makes EmissionInsider the 14th project supported through the Blue Economy Incubator. Established in 2016, the initiative helps accelerate sustainable ocean based technologies that contribute to a more resilient and innovative blue economy throughout the San Diego region.

Many ports have announced ambitious climate targets, but achieving meaningful emissions reductions depends on understanding where emissions are generated. That challenge becomes more complex when emissions come from vessels and activities beyond a port’s direct operational control.

Rather than focusing only on reduction targets, the Port of San Diego is investing in better emissions intelligence. The EmissionInsider platform has been designed to collect, integrate, analyse, and report emissions data across port activities, covering direct emissions, indirect emissions, and value chain related sources.

The result is intended to provide port managers with a more complete operational picture. By identifying where emissions occur and highlighting operational bottlenecks, the platform can help guide future planning, environmental reporting, and investment decisions.

As environmental regulations continue to evolve worldwide, ports are increasingly expected to demonstrate measurable progress instead of relying solely on long term sustainability commitments. Reliable emissions data is becoming an essential part of that process.

The pilot supports the Port of San Diego’s Maritime Clean Air Strategy, which sets out the port’s long term roadmap for reducing emissions from maritime operations.

EmissionInsider is expected to strengthen the port’s ability to inventory emissions and evaluate where operational improvements could deliver the greatest environmental benefits. The platform also provides greater transparency across activities that ports traditionally find difficult to measure because they involve third party operators, visiting ships, or wider supply chain activities.

This broader visibility may help the port prioritise future decarbonization initiatives while improving reporting accuracy for regulators and stakeholders.

According to Sjoerd de Jager, Co Founder and Managing Director of PortXchange, the partnership reflects an industry wide shift toward data driven environmental management.

“We are truly proud to partner with the Port of San Diego, a port that has long set the standard for environmental leadership in the United States,” he said.

De Jager added that decarbonization remains the defining challenge facing the maritime sector and that better understanding emissions from ships and other external operations enables ports to make informed decisions that reduce air pollution and advance climate goals.

For PortXchange, the project represents more than another technology deployment. It signals growing recognition that environmental leadership increasingly depends on the quality of operational data rather than the ambition of sustainability strategies alone.

As ports around the world face tighter regulatory requirements and increasing pressure to demonstrate measurable environmental performance, accurate emissions inventories are becoming a strategic asset. The Port of San Diego’s latest pilot reflects that changing reality, placing data quality at the centre of future decarbonization efforts.