The Port of Long Beach is unwavering in its commitment to sustainability and modernization. At the annual State of the Port event last week, Bonnie Lowenthal of the Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners discussed the port's efforts and plans for the future.

"Change seems to be the only constant, but the port has a history of being agile. Over the years, the port has grown its business and grown green," Lowenthal, president of the Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners said at the event. "The port has invested in shore power and other sustainability efforts to make the world's greenest port." The Gerald Desmond Bridge renovation and Long Beach Container Terminal are two of the major modernization projects the port has undertaken in the last decade, and according to Lowenthal, they are "nearing the finish line."

The Port of Long Beach has invested $65 million to reduce environmental impacts, and since 2007, $9 million in sponsorships to improve the community. "We did this while also growing jobs," said Lowenthal. "While the port once supported one in eight jobs, the port has increased its employment impact to one in five jobs in Long Beach. That is 51,000 jobs just in our city nationwide."