Seven Major Ports Join Climate Action Program

Seven ports have now elevated the Paris Agreement Climate Goal to the top of their agendas to keep global warming well below 2°C.

With their World Ports Climate Action Program announced, the port authorities of Hamburg, Barcelona, Antwerp, Los Angeles, Long Beach, Vancouver and Rotterdam will collaborate in refining and developing tools to facilitate reduction of CO2 emissions from maritime transport.

The Port Authority organisations call upon the shipping industry and other ports to join the commitment to deliver on the Paris Agreement and to work together on actions that yield measurable results.

Allard Castelein President & Chief Executive Officer of  Port of Rotterdam said: “The Paris Agreement has set a clear target: we need to limit global warming to well below 2°C. It is vital in this context to reduce the emissions generated by maritime transport. As critical hubs in the global maritime transport network, I am convinced that ports can make a significant contribution. I am pleased to see that international port authorities have taken on a leading role in this area, committing to collaborative projects that can further advance the decarbonization of the maritime transport sector.”

To increase the impact of the program, the port authority network asks governments and regulators to adopt global – or, at the very least, international – policies for CO2 pricing and provide funding support to relevant R&D and pilot projects.

The participants in the World Ports Climate Action Program will work in close collaboration with stakeholders inside and outside the maritime sector. As a first action, the partners will be drawing up a work plan.

Jacques Vandermeiren, CEO of Antwerp Port Authority said: “The Paris Agreement has set a clear target: we need to limit global warming to well below 2°C. It is vital in this context to reduce the emissions generated by maritime transport. As critical hubs in the global maritime transport network, I am convinced that ports can make a significant contribution. I am pleased to see that international port authorities have taken on a leading role in this area, committing to collaborative projects that can further advance the decarbonization of the maritime transport sector.”

IAPH Managing Director Patrick Verhoeven welcomed the initiative, commented : "These seven ports are global leaders in the field of action against climate change and pioneers in energy conservation. We are very pleased that they will be using the World Ports Sustainability Program as a platform to reach out to other ports and communicate progress. This is a rallying call for all ports to join forces and work together with the shipping industry in advancing the decarbonisation of the maritime transport sector."

The World Ports Sustainability Program was initiated by the International Association of Ports and Harbors. The program was officially launched on 22 March 2018, in partnership with several other international and regional port-related organisations.

Guided by the 17 UN SDGs the program wants to enhance and coordinate future sustainability efforts of ports worldwide and foster international cooperation with partners in the supply chain. The World Ports Sustainability Program covers five main areas of collaboration between ports : resilient infrastructure, climate and energy, safety and security, community outreach and port-city dialogue, governance and ethics.