41. The Greening of Ports

Ports are key players to implement the global policy of sustainable development. Indeed, ports are critical assets in the global economy, because they are essential to shipping and in turn, shipping is essential to trade. As such ports are not only required to “green” themselves, but they are also helping “greening” the planet. In Europe, the overwhelming majority of ports are actively engaged with environmental policy and legislation. They routinely monitor environmental issues on their grounds such as waste, energy consumption, water and air quality. Despite the very broad spectrum of types of ports (types of cargo, location, size, structure, etc.), and the financial challenge raised by the sustainable development agenda, ports are at the junction of global environmental policy and of the international legal framework of shipping and marine and coastal protection. Globally and locally, they have an enormous responsibility in the protection of the marine environment from potentially environmentally harmful activities such as shipping, marine and atmospheric pollution, IUU fishing and climate change. Examples of the role of ports in combating environmental degradation include Port State Control, which allows the operation worldwide of a harmonised system of control of international standards of safety of life, environmental protection and security. Another important role for ports relates to land use, and how they carry out development and expansion works, particularly when land reclamation, dredging and impact on protected nature reserves are involved. Other issues include climate change, Non Indigenous Aquatic Species and reception facilities in ports.