During the European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO) conference in Bremen last week, stakeholders discussed the role of ports towards achieving climate neutrality. Officials at the conference believe that ports need to do more as they are “not only part of the problem, they are also part of the solution."
These words, said by ESPO Chairman Zeno D'Agostino, should translate to large investment sums at the ports, in his opinion. The investments could focus on developing an infrastructure that boosts energy-saving technologies and the availability of alternative fuels.
The ESPO event brings together participants from over 20 EU countries. According to Robert Howe, Managing Director of the Port Management Company Bremenports, "In order to decarbonise an industrial nation like Germany, we will have to import large amounts of energy in the future,” as cited by DVZ. Howe believes that the geographical locations of North Europe's ports give them an advantage in being top suppliers of green energy.
Port sustainability initiatives underway
While ports have been actively investing in sustainable solutions individually, observers believe there is a need for collective action to achieve a bigger impact. For this purpose, the CEOs of leading ports have taken the first step to create a new international initiative.
By the end of this year, twelve of the world’s key ports are set to launch a new programme titled the World Port Climate Action Programme (WPCAP). According to a report by Lloyd’s List, ports like Rotterdam, Los Angeles, Hamburg and Yokohama will take part in this programme, which aims at creating “a scheme to facilitate the bunkering and adoption of cleaner fuels.”
In addition to alternative fuels, the WPCAP also seeks to introduce energy-efficient solutions at the ports, such as shore power. A press release by the Port of Rotterdam estimates the twelve ports would invest over EUR 500 million in the programme, which will include the creation of green shipping corridors and nearly 160 connection points.
“We saw a shift from a situation where ports developed a few projects to large-scale investment programmes,” says Jarl Schoemaker, a senior advisor at Rotterdam Port. The CEOs of the participating ports agreed that the WPCAP would be an "important contribution to the adoption of sustainability standards in the shipping industry."
