Barbados Works at Environmental Sustainability

Demonstrating leadership and commitment to environmental sustainability, Barbados Port Inc. has committed to work in partnership with RightShip to develop an incentive program encouraging more efficient vessels to their port.
 
During the 1st Hemispheric Seminar on Port Legislation held in Montevideo on the 24-25 November David Jean Marie, CEO of Barbados Port and Anuj Chopra, RightShip’s Vice-President - Americas, signed a letter of intent to develop a port incentive program using the RightShip and Carbon War Room Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Rating.
 
The port incentive program rewards vessels with better energy efficient ratings. Measuring their carbon dioxide emissions, vessels are rated from A (most energy efficient) to G, with rewards – often in the form of reduced port fees – to the more efficient vessels. RightShip will begin the process by benchmarking vessel arrivals over time to set a baseline for displaying trends in carbon dioxide emissions. “In this way we tailor the incentive program to ensure maximum benefit for the port community” explains Chopra. “Understanding current CO2 emissions of vessels, both in-port and for their entire journey, is a key factor in our program management.”
 
Lauded as a champion of environmental sustainability in the region, David Jean Marie was quick to acknowledge the contribution of the Organization of American States in setting up this agreement. “OAS have played a key role in facilitating our partnership with RightShip. Barbados Port is an early adopter to this program, however we are one part of a coordinated effort across the industry to promote efficient shipping. By ‘acting local’ and protecting our port environment we are part of a larger global movement intent on reducing the carbon footprint of the shipping industry.”
 
Barbados Port is joining a growing community of worldwide ports who are utilizing the RightShip and Carbon War Room GHG Emissions Rating to reward sustainable ships. Canadian ports Vancouver and Prince Rupert use the same Emissions Rating to offer discounts to the most efficient ships visiting their ports, and the world’s third largest port, the Port of Rotterdam in the Netherlands, has also committed to investigating a similar incentive. “We are delighted to be working with the Port of Barbados to develop a program,” says Chopra. “Sustainability and efficiency are on the agenda for many organizations, however it takes leadership such as this to put these plans into action.”
 
Carbon War Room, a global nonprofit organization, has been working with RightShip to provide transparent access to the GHG Emissions Rating via Shippingefficiency.org, promoting use of the rating amongst ports, charterers, and other shipping stakeholders.
 
Chairman of Carbon War Room, Jose Maria Figueres, commented “Ports are an economic lifeline in island nations. By rewarding the cleanest ships that deliver goods, people and resources to their island, the Port of Barbados is taking a leadership role in promoting a reduction in carbon emissions and signaling a market shift towards cleaner vessels. This is an ambitious step forward and something we want to support and replicate in our work in the maritime industry and on islands.”