Mitigation and moving towards low carbon waterborne transport infrastructure

IAPH is pleased to announce that the process to build a new module for the IAPH Environmental Ship Index (ESI) has commenced. The new module will focus on the environmental performance of ships at berth for each port call. An online kick-off meeting by the project team was held yesterday, Monday 21 February.

The module will initially focus on cruise shipping and will be funded by contributions from major cruise ports and IAPH. It will develop in two phases, starting with the reporting model, followed by the development of an at-berth performance- and emissions indicator. A core working group of ports, representatives from the cruise industry and the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), and the website building company Nalta, has been established to accompany the development phases.

The project is led by the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Amsterdam, being supported by IAPH and Green Award Foundation, which manages the ESI operation, and Starcrest. The aim is to have the at berth module in full operation by the beginning of 2023.

IAPH Managing Director Patrick Verhoeven commented:

“The ESI At-Berth module will bring ESI to the next level by also assessing and rewarding actual performance related to each port call. This will feed port emission inventories and will trigger further emissions reduction through the voluntary application of incentives by the ESI ports. Starting with cruise vessels as a pilot for a two-year period, the at-berth module is then expected to expand to other types of traffic subject to positive evaluation.”

The ESI was established in 2011 and it identifies seagoing ships that perform better than required by the current emission standards of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) related to air emissions. With 6,908 vessels registered, ESI is an automated, maintainable environmental performance system for ships which potentially results in lower port dues or fees for vessels calling at ports registered as an ESI-incentive provider.

ESI-air scores vessels on their NOx and SOx performance, rewarding reporting and improvements over time of energy efficiency. Vessels are also rewarded for being equipped with onshore power supply.

On a separate module, ESI-noise also scores reduced noise of vessels, directly and proportionally and calculates a fixed bonus for a noise reduction measurement report.

The scores for the ships enrolled in the IAPH Environmental Ship Index (ESI) for the quarter starting 1 January 2022 have been recently released. Compared to the previous quarter, the number of ships with a score of 20 or more in the database increased from 4,684 to 4,731 and the number of incentive providers led mainly by ports around the world rose from 60 to 61.

For further information on the development of the at-berth module , please contact:

Teresa Pisano, Marine Environmental Supervisor in the Environmental Management Division at IAPH member the Port of Los Angeles

Henri van der Weide, Policy Advisor of the Port of Amsterdam

Contact for the release: Victor Shieh, IAPH Communications Director

Email : 

Tel : +32 473 980 855

About IAPH

Founded in 1955, the International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH) has developed into a global alliance of 161 port authorities, including many of the world’s largest port operators as well as 126 port-related businesses. Comprised of 87 different nationalities across the world’s continents, member ports handle approximately one third of the world’s sea-borne trade and well over 60% of the world container traffic. With its NGO consultative status recognized by the IMO, ECOSOC, ILO, UNCTAD, UNEP, and WCO, IAPH leads global port industry initiatives on decarbonization and energy transition, risk and resilience management, and accelerating digitalization in the maritime transport chain. Its World Ports Sustainability Program has grown into the reference database of best practices of ports applying the UN Sustainable Development Goals and integrating them into their businesses.

Copyright: (c) Dbvirago | Dreamstime.com

With regulatory measures on emissions reductions in shipping still being formulated and the debate still open on which fuels to use, the IMO2050 target clock is ticking to reduce global reductions in shipping carbon dioxide emissions by at least 50% from 2008 levels. On the landside, how are ports proactively kickstarting investments in bunkering infrastructure to meet those future needs? Gain insight from port and industry executives on how strategies are being developed to make alternative fuel bunkering operations a reality.

Speakers : 

Faustine Delasalle, Director, Energy Transitions Commission, and Partner, Systemiq

Quah Ley Hoon Chief Executive, Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA)

Unni Einemo, Director, International Bunkering Industry Association (IBIA)

Watch the webinar on demand here

Report on global sustainability activities in ports has been published as next major deliverable of the World Ports Sustainability Program

Antwerp, 4 May 2020

Guided by the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals, the World Ports Sustainability Program (WPSP) led by the International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH) has released its World Ports Sustainability Report 2020. The report is part of the WPSP aim to fulfil its mission to enhance and coordinate future sustainability efforts of ports worldwide, fostering international cooperation with partners in the supply chain.

IAPH Managing Director Patrick Verhoeven, overall coordinator of the Program commented:

“When we launched the World Ports Sustainability Program two years ago, our prime objectives were to create an online portfolio of port sustainability projects and to set up a platform that would also offer a think-tank and breeding ground for new sustainability initiatives. We have delivered on these objectives. With 120 projects from 71 ports, covering 38 countries and five continents, the WPSP Portfolio is becoming a global treasure trove on sustainable port development.

We also had another objective in mind when we set up the programme and that was to regularly report on the sustainability performance of the global ports sector.

With this World Ports Sustainability Report we present our next deliverable.”

The report follows the thematic structure of the World Ports Sustainability Program and provides information on how ports are investing in resilient infrastructure, climate and energy, community outreach and port-city dialogue, safety and security and governance and ethics.

Dr Antonis Michail, author of the report as WPSP Technical Director added : “Our report concludes that community outreach and port-city dialogue are on top of ports’ agendas worldwide. With ports being granted their license to operate and grow by their own local communities, the result is logical. Climate and energy and resilient infrastructure also score relatively high, which confirms efforts motivated by external societal, political and commercial pressures to embrace decarbonization and digitalization. It is in these two areas of interest where we also see the highest frequency of activities in terms of collaborative projects on the WPSP platform where IAPH is taking either a leading or partnering role.”

Governance and ethics and safety and security would appear to be underdeveloped areas in need of more attention, although the recent crisis caused by COVID-19 is already shifting focus of ports towards both areas of interest. In the recent WPSP Task Force COVID-19 guidance document for ports, an additional best practice section on humanitarian actions adopted by IAPH member ports will now be added based on the feedback of the Task Force members which go above and beyond short-term actions in response to the impact of COVID-19 on port communities.

A guide on applying the UN Sustainable Goals in practice

In line with its mission to demonstrate global leadership of ports in contributing to the UN SDGs, and with the support of the UNCTAD, WPSP organised a dedicated workshop in March 2019 on the way ports can apply SDGs in practice. It took place at the UNCTAD Headquarters in Geneva, gathering over 30 delegates from IAPH member ports, the Trade and Logistics branch of UNCTAD, UN Global Compact, various academic experts as well as representatives from banking and shipping. The group defined and prioritized potential port authority actions per UN Sustainable Development Goal and agreed on a roadmap forward.

As a follow-up to the Geneva workshop, the World Ports Sustainability Program has developed a practical framework on how ports can implement each of the 17 UN SDGs in practice in the report. To build further on this framework, WPSP is preparing an innovative gaming concept designed to bring the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to life for ports around the world. Based on the data gathered as to how ports apply SDGs in practice, the gaming concept is designed to train and increase awareness of people employed in ports, port users and their communities on their roles in achieving the UN-adopted 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The game has already been tested prior to the COVID-19 outbreak with port professionals and is being adapted for launch later this year.

News release contact details :

World Ports Sustainability Program - Victor Shieh, Communications Partner :

Tel : +32 473 980 855

Technical enquiries:

World Ports Sustainability Program - Dr. Antonis Michail, Technical Director : 

You can provide input on your port's response to COVID-19 and contact our Task Force experts by email on

About IAPH (iaphworldports.org)

Founded in 1955, the International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH) is a non-profit-making global alliance of 170 ports and 140 port-related organisations covering 90 countries. Its member ports handle more than 60 percent of global maritime trade and around 80 percent of world container traffic. IAPH has consultative NGO status with several United Nations agencies. In 2018, IAPH established the World Ports Sustainability Program (WPSP). Guided by the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals, it aims to unite sustainability efforts of ports worldwide, encouraging international cooperation between all partners involved in the maritime supply chain. WPSP (sustainableworldports.org) covers five main areas of collaboration: energy transition, resilient infrastructure, safety and security, community outreach and governance.

Upcoming reports will deep dive into regional results, commencing with Europe next week

Of the seventy six ports surveyed across the globe in this week’s WPSP Port Economic Impact Barometer Report, the majority report a relatively stable situation compared to the previous weeks, with slight improvements noted in some areas of port continuity.

The situation for container vessel calls shows a mixed picture compared to the situation in the previous weeks. On the one hand, more than half of the respondents now report a rather stable situation (vs. 41% last week), a figure similar to the situation in weeks 15 and 16. On the other hand, the share of ports facing significant decreases in container vessel calls (in excess of a 25% drop) climbs to 11%, compared to less than 10% last week and only 2-3% in the first two survey weeks. The situation for the other cargo vessels is slightly improving with more ports now even reporting increases in vessel calls.

The situation for container vessel calls shows a mixed picture compared to the situation in the previous weeks. On the one hand, more than half of the respondents now report a rather stable situation (vs. 41% last week), a figure similar to the situation in weeks 15 and 16. On the other hand, the share of ports facing significant decreases in container vessel calls (in excess of a 25% drop) climbs to 11%, compared to less than 10% last week and only 2-3% in the first two survey weeks. The situation for the other cargo vessels is slightly improving with more ports now even reporting increases in vessel calls.

Less delays are being reported due to port call procedure changes. In terms of capacity in ports, including warehousing and distribution activities, we see an improvement compared to last weeks, with limited capacity shortages for foodstuffs, medical supplies and consumer goods. For bulk goods there are a growing number of ports even reporting underutilisation. Notably, there have been no significant increases in restrictions on cargo vessels, with some ports now receiving cruise ships via dedicated anti-COVID 19 safe corridors using temperature control and medical inspections to allow crew to reach their own final destinations.

On the intermodal side, some ports are suffering additional complications for cross-border cargo transits. Overall though, rail, barge and truck availability have improved across the majority of ports surveyed. There has been a slight uptick in shortage of dockworkers, technical nautical services personnel and the incidence of staff being placed on social wage schemes.

Barometer co-author Professor Theo Notteboom commented : “In quite a few countries, several industries will head back to work on May 4. It remains to be seen what adjustments ports will need to make, and what will be the effect of this partial ‘reopening’ of the respective economies.”

His colleague Professor Thanos Pallis added : “We now have sufficient data to deep dive into regional trends. This will start with an analysis of ports in the European region next week, with other regions to follow.”

News release contact details :

World Ports Sustainability Program - Victor Shieh, Communications Partner :

Tel : +32 473 980 855

Technical enquiries:

World Ports Sustainability Program - Dr. Antonis Michail, Technical Director : 

You can provide input on your port's response to COVID-19 in the survey and contact our Task Force experts by email on

About IAPH (iaphworldports.org)

Founded in 1955, the International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH) is a non-profit-making global alliance of 170 ports and 140 port-related organisations covering 90 countries. Its member ports handle more than 60 percent of global maritime trade and around 80 percent of world container traffic. IAPH has consultative NGO status with several United Nations agencies. In 2018, IAPH established the World Ports Sustainability Program (WPSP). Guided by the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals, it aims to unite sustainability efforts of ports worldwide, encouraging international cooperation between all partners involved in the maritime supply chain. WPSP (sustainableworldports.org) covers five main areas of collaboration: energy transition, resilient infrastructure, safety and security, community outreach and governance.

Photograph: Markus Spiske | Source: Unsplash

Support to include regularly-updated, frequently-asked questions section vetted by experts from eight global ports, a weekly port economic impact barometer and latest industry updates

2 April 2020

In response to requests from members of the International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH), the World Ports Sustainability Program has set up a Task Force comprising some of the world's top experts to inform and guide the port authorities and users alike via a newly-established WORLD PORTS COVID19 INFORMATION PORTAL .

"In the spirit of international collaboration that drives the World Ports Sustainability Program, the Task Force and Information Portal have been set up to help ports worldwide handle the immense challenges they are all facing with the global COVID19 outbreak. Using the simplified format of five frequently-asked questions, we will provide guidance on current best practices, the industry’s collective recommendations to governments as well as regularly updated, useful information" comments IAPH Managing Director Patrick Verhoeven.

The Task Force will be headed up by Tessa Major, IAPH Vice-President for Central and South America and Director of International Business and Innovation at the Brazilian Port of Açu. The Task Force includes multidisciplinary port experts and professionals from the ports of Açu, Antwerp, Busan, Felixstowe, Guangzhou, London, Los Angeles and Rotterdam as well as Maritime Street, a consultancy specialised in digital trade logistics.

In addition, to keep track of the economic implications, two internationally-renowned port economists, Professor Theo Notteboom (Shanghai Maritime University, Ghent University and University of Antwerp) and Professor Thanos Pallis (University of the Aegean and Universidad de Los Andes), will be working in the production of a weekly economic impact barometer.

The five main questions being permanently addressed and updated are :

• What is the current operational status of ports worldwide?
• Where can I find information as a shipowner on port regulations and restrictions?
• Where do I find operational guidance as a port based on global best practice?
• What support should I as a port request from my government?
• What is the economic impact on the global port sector?

With the aim of avoiding over-duplication and info-demic currently pervading online information channels, the easy-to-use portal will be updated with the guidance of the Task Force and using the most reliable sources of information. The portal features latest industry updates based on a daily screening of reports from individual ports, port associations, shipping organisations, governments, international regulators and specialised news outlets.

Patrick Verhoeven concludes : "The operation of ports is of vital importance to face the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis. Ports ensure that the world’s medical supplies, food, energy raw materials, as well as manufactured goods and components vital to the preservation of employment, continue to reach their intended destinations. We will play our part in assisting our members and the maritime community through this Task Force and information portal."

News release contact details :

World Ports Sustainability Program - Victor Shieh, Communications Partner :

Tel : +32 473 980 855

Technical enquiries:

World Ports Sustainability Program - Dr. Antonis Michail, Technical Director :

You can provide input on your port's response to COVID-19 and contact our Task Force experts by email on

About IAPH (iaphworldports.org)

Founded in 1955, the International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH) is a non-profit-making global alliance of 170 ports and 140 port-related organisations covering 90 countries. Its member ports handle more than 60 percent of global maritime trade and around 80 percent of world container traffic. IAPH has consultative NGO status with several United Nations agencies. In 2018, IAPH established the World Ports Sustainability Program (WPSP). Guided by the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals, it aims to unite sustainability efforts of ports worldwide, encouraging international cooperation between all partners involved in the maritime supply chain. WPSP (sustainableworldports.org) covers five main areas of collaboration: energy transition, resilient infrastructure, safety and security, community outreach and governance.

Just-In-Time (JIT) Arrival guide submitted to the IMO as information paper to support IMO resolution that calls on cooperation between ports and shipping on the reduction of GHG emissions from ships

With multiple pilot and roll out projects underway at leading world cargo ports such as Rotterdam, Antwerp, Hamburg and Los Angeles to optimize vessel port calls , the need for a standardised approach to data availability and sharing with ships calling at these ports is growing.

Captain Ben Van Scherpenzeel, Chair of Taskforce Port Call Optimization commented : "Ship-shore data availability and data sharing around port calls must be supported by robust standards developed by robust organizations in the long run to make GHG emissions reductions a reality. Ship owner-operators will simply not be able to work optimally with different data sets amongst all the ports their fleets call at. Equally, a one-size-fits- all global solution is not the answer. The answer lies in a common port call process framework, using existing contractual, hydrographic, and data definition standards."

Emissions impact - vessel waiting times at anchorage

During the latest Taskforce meeting, one of the industry's leading AIS vessel tracking solutions provider MarineTraffic provided some sobering data. Now capable of measuring the entire port call process of different vessel types at berth level, they calculated time at anchorage outside ports around the globe of the 200,000 vessels they track averaging between just under 4% and over 9% of average call time.

Unifying an industry approach that connects ship with shore

The just-in-time (JIT) Arrival Guide, an initiative up until now of the Global Industry Alliance to support low carbon shipping*, has just been submitted as an information paper for the next meeting of the IMO Maritime Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 75) at the end of March.

The purpose of this JIT Arrival Guide is to provide information to ports on how to facilitate JIT Arrival of ships – with a view to reducing GHG emissions by optimising the port call process. It also corresponds with the four action lines of the IMO Resolution submitted last year on cooperation between ports and shipping on reduction of GHG emissions from ships. The resolution has been co-sponsored by a number of member governments, various shipping industry associations as well as the World Wildlife Fund.

The JIT Arrival Guide also follows the recent publication last year of the latest version of the Taskforce's Port Information Manual. The manual, developed over a five-year period by shipowners, ports, and other industry players in theTaskforce, is designed for application in all ports. It includes data definitions sourced from existing standards within the shipping and supply chain industry to allow nautical and operational systems to speak with one another optimally.

From theory into practice - ports and terminals making concerted efforts to optimise port calls in practice

At the recent Taskforce meeting in Rotterdam, several existing port call optimization solutions either in pilot phase or in full operation were showcased. One such solution has been developed by the Hamburg Vessel Coordination Center. It is built on an existing platform which shares data between 300 different parties in the port community. This also including EDI links with ports such as Rotterdam where the approaching vessel made its previous call. Synchronisation of nautical data with fleet support/control centers means that arrival of cruise and container ships along the berth side can be correctly scheduled and synchronised.

These kind of solutions are not being piloted in isolation. Other ports such as Algeciras, Houston and Felixstowe use the PortXchange solution, whilst a liquid bulk terminal is trialling the Qronoport system elsewhere in Antwerp.

UNCTAD Report highlights and lowlights digitalising the Port Call Process

In early February, UNCTAD, which is the main U.N. body dealing with trade, investment and development issues released its own report on this pressing issue with the support on an industry level. These include Port CDM who were the architects behind the STM validation project, Intelligent Cargo Systems, the global data standards provider GS1, BIMCO, MSC, the Republic of Korea's Smart Navigation Project and global intelligence provider IHS Markit.

The paper, entitled Digitalizing the Port Call Process, identifies the principal tensions and opportunities arising that are impacting the inevitable and ongoing digitalization process that is underway in the maritime sector. It makes no bones about the main challenge : "One of the dilemmas with digitalization, standardization and data sharing in the port operations environment is the absence of over-arching bodies like the IMO that can strongly influence standardization. Tension also exists between catering for local requirements and sensitivities including existing infrastructure to overcome, and at the same time being able to enable those involved to connect and be connected to the world."

Patrick Verhoeven, IAPH's Managing Director commented : "Whilst it is not the ultimate game-changer, Port Call Optimisation definitely is one of the low-hanging fruits that will help decarbonising the maritime sector. Its multiple advantages include increased safety and efficiency, so there is really no excuse for stakeholders in the nautical chain why they should not to get involved and make it happen."

Note : During the upcoming IAPH 2020 World Ports Conference in Antwerp next month, the panel session “From Concept to Reality: How Ports Are Taking the Lead in Data Exchange for Port Call Optimisation” will combine both Energy Transition and Data Collaboration Streams in one single session.

About IAPH (iaphworldports.org)

Founded in 1955, the International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH) is a non-profit-making global alliance of 170 ports and 140 port-related organisations covering 90 countries. Its member ports handle more than 60 percent of global maritime trade and around 80 percent of world container traffic. IAPH has consultative NGO status with several United Nations agencies. In 2018, IAPH established the World Ports Sustainability Program (WPSP). Guided by the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals, it aims to unite sustainability efforts of ports worldwide, encouraging international cooperation between all partners involved in the maritime supply chain. WPSP (sustainableworldports.org) covers five main areas of collaboration: energy transition, resilient infrastructure, safety and security, community outreach and governance.

* Until now, the Global Industry Alliance has operated under the IMO GloMEEP programme, and is connected to the work of the International Task Force Port Call Optimisation. Moving ahead, further work on port call optimization will become part of the IMO's GreenVoyage-2050 project in collaboration with the Government of Norway.

The IAPH World Ports Sustainability Program (WPSP) announces a total of 45 eligible projects submitted as candidates for the WPSP 2020 Awards.

These have been submitted by IAPH members, and will now be carefully analysed and ranked by the selected jury members representing the maritime industry, who will define the three best scoring projects per category.

IAPH Managing Director Patrick Verhoeven commented: "We are delighted again to have so many innovative and diverse projects added to the WPSP portfolio. As we envisioned when we launched the Program, we now have the most coherent and up-to-date global database of port-related projects on sustainable development. The practical examples given by each project can serve as inspiration for ports seeking to integrate the UN Sustainability Development Goals into their strategy and day-to-day business."

The emerging total of 18 shortlisted projects (three for each of the six categories) selected by the jury will then be presented for online public voting, whose votes will contribute to 30% of the overall evaluation. Voting will open on the WPSP website from 17 February to 2 March.

The six winners (one for each thematic category) will then be announced during the World Ports Conference Gala Dinner, held in Antwerp, on 18 March 2020.

For further information on the IAPH World Ports Sustainability Program database of projects and the World Ports Sustainability Awards, please contact:

Dr. Antonis Michail - Technical Director, World Ports Sustainability Program

Email :

For press enquiries and more information about the IAPH World Ports Sustainability Program, please contact :

Victor Shieh - Communications Partner, World Ports Sustainability Program

Email :

Navigating a Changing Climate (NaCC) partnership established by PIANC to close survey on extreme weather events in mid-December. Full results to be released at the #IAPH2020 World Ports Conference in Antwerp in March

Navigating a Changing Climate (NaCC) partnership established by PIANC to close survey on extreme weather events in mid-December. Full results to be released at the #IAPH2020 World Ports Conference in Antwerp in March

Ports covering every major ocean as well as inland ports and waterways have confirmed the increase in frequency and severity of extreme weather events and the serious impact these have had on infrastructure and operations.

The survey has been organised by the International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH) on behalf of the partners of the Navigating a Changing Climate (NaCC) initiative. It has been developed to gather aggregate, high-level data on costs and consequences of extreme weather events. These cover not only damage, clean-up and additional maintenance costs, but also the consequences of closures, downtime and delays. The survey also considers wider issues, for example the role of warning systems and contingency plans.

Jan Brooke, PIANC lead coordinator of the survey commented : "Last year, the NaCC partners identified that a lack of data on the consequences of inaction is a potential barrier to justifying investment in improving climate-resilience. So we devised this survey in order to gauge just how much impact extreme weather and oceanographic events are having on ports around the world."

Early indicators confirm scientific results on weather events' frequency and severity

Early responses from over fifty ports of varying sizes located around the world already confirm the impact of the increase in extreme events on port infrastructure and operational downtime. Nearly two thirds so far have reported downtimes of between one six-hour shift and seventy two hours. More than half of respondents consider the effects of these extreme-weather induced closures and downtime to be ‘significant' or 'critical’. In addition, more than one in five respondents reported clean-up, damage repair and extra maintenance costs of between USD 100,000 and USD 10,000,000.

"The frequency increase in extreme weather events in the past four decades is irrevocable." comments Dr. Antonis Michail, Technical Director of the IAPH World Ports Sustainability Program.

The recent Bio Science journal article published by eminent scientists (William J Ripple et al) and quoted in The Guardian include indicators* which document these changing patterns since 1979. 

"The survey not only serves as a study in emerging patterns of extreme weather and oceanographic events," adds Dr. Michail. "It also deals with the question about how ports can step up their plans to minimise the impact of these events, and how ports can share their experience on how to cope in the aftermath of a specific event. As a partner project of the World Ports Sustainability Program, our next step is to ensure these results are widely disseminated amongst our membership, and the port community in general."

Jan Brooke will be presenting the full results of the survey on Wednesday 18th March, 2020, during the Risk and Reputation stream of the #IAPH2020 World Ports Conference in Antwerp.

The survey remains open for all ports until 20th December. Results will be used in an aggregate format only; individual port or waterway data will be kept strictly confidential.

About IAPH (iaphworldports.org)

Founded in 1955, the International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH) is a non-profit-making global alliance of 170 ports and 140 port-related organisations covering 90 countries. Its member ports handle more than 60 percent of global maritime trade and around 80 percent of world container traffic. IAPH has consultative NGO status with several United Nations agencies. In 2018, IAPH established the World Ports Sustainability Program (WPSP). Guided by the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals, it aims to unite sustainability efforts of ports worldwide, encouraging international cooperation between all partners involved in the maritime supply chain. WPSP (sustainableworldports.org) covers five main areas of collaboration: energy transition, resilient infrastructure, safety and security, community outreach and governance.

Contact :

Victor Shieh

Communications Partner, World Ports Sustainability Program (WPSP)

Email :

Tel : + 32 473 980 855

* © The Author(s) 2019. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Institute of Biological Sciences. Reprinted in The Guardian.

About IAPH

IAPH is the International Association of Ports and Harbors, they have members in 90 countries around the world. IAPH members are primarily port authorities or port-related businesses.

IAPH’s objectives

IAPH aims to:

• Strengthen relationships among the member ports by facilitating interaction, dialogue, problem-solving and formulation of best practices
• Leverage member expertise through strong technical committees and programs that create platforms focused on resolving complex port and maritime industry concerns and building greater efficiency and sustainability for ports worldwide
• Promote and demonstrate IAPH members’ leadership and commitment to a cleaner, safer and more environmentally sustainable industry for the benefit of the global community
• Proactively coordinate with other international maritime and related organisations (such as IMO, UNCTAD, WCO, PIANC, etc.) and advocate for global solutions to issues that impact IAPH members

IAPH’s aspirations for Navigating a Changing Climate

IAPH has joined the PIANC-led environment initiative Navigating a Changing Climate as a partner to raise awareness about the challenges posed by climate change at a global level. IAPH’s commitment to combating climate change is never new, as demonstrated by its environmental initiative “World Ports Climate Initiative” launched in 2008. Its major pillars are Environmental Ship Index (ESI), Onshore Power Supply and Carbon Footprinting.

IAPH and organiser IHS Markit bring industry experts together to hold an interactive panel discussion on 10th September

With several industry projects gaining traction on the optimization of vessel port calls, the International Association of Ports and Harbors has taken the initiative to bring industry partners together to discuss a common way forward.

IAPH Managing Director Patrick Verhoeven commented: "Port Call Optimization is a subject which is receiving increasingly more attention by ports and the shipping industry in general. The recent positive outputs from the GEF-UNDP-IMO project on Global Maritime Energy Efficiency Partnerships (GloMEEP) and the IMO MEPC.323(74) resolution on cooperation between the port and shipping sectors to contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions from ships are proof of that. It is therefore important that all stakeholders contribute with their say on the subject as this initiative gains momentum."

Interactive Panel discussion during London International Shipping Week

To facilitate this process, IAPH and IHS Maritime & Trade have organised an interactive panel discussion which will take place on 10th September at the London Marriott Grosvenor Square, Mayfair, London during London International Shipping Week. Speakers will include the Chairman of the International Taskforce, IHS Maritime and Trade expert on port productivity and a Technical Officer of the IMO's Marine Division.

Members of the Port Roundtable will also be in attendance to provide their contributions to the discussion. These include representatives of the world's leading associations for the world port and shipping communities : the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), the Federation of National Associations of Ship Brokers and Agents (FONASBA), the International Maritime Pilots’ Association (IMPA), the International Harbour Masters' Association (IHMA) and the International Cargo Handling Coordination Association (ICHCA).

International Taskforce Port Call Optimization [ITPCO] - the next step

IAPH, through its World Ports Sustainability Program, is an endorser of the International Taskforce Port Call Optimization [ITPCO]. Industry partners have been working together since 2014 to gain a common understanding on the minimum set of data and the correct standards for a vessel port call. This collaboration is culminating in a clearly identified trade and port agnostic business process with a well-defined minimum scope of data required for all trades and all ports.

Following its latest meeting in June of this year , ITPCO now intends to support ports by consolidating its work on the scope as well as commercial and legal aspects of data, functional definitions and data definitions.

Captain Ben van Scherpenzeel, Chairman of ITPCO commented :

“The fundamentals for port call optimisation have now been established by our partners based on solid foundations of existing international legislation and industry precedence. The next step is to ensure implementation within an existing regulatory framework."

Ultimately the initiative aims to improve vessel turnaround time at ports everywhere, which can potentially reduce greenhouse gas emissions in and around coastal areas, reduce bunkers and also improve efficiencies on the landside leg of the chain for cargo and passengers. IAPH will play a key role in ensuring that port authorities gear up for this initiative through training coordination, best practice and knowledge sharing.

About IAPH (iaphworldports.org)

Founded in 1955, the International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH) is a non-profit-making global alliance of 170 ports and 140 port-related organizations covering 90 countries. Its member ports handle more than 60 percent of global maritime trade and around 80 percent of world container traffic. IAPH has consultative NGO status with several United Nations agencies. In 2018, IAPH established the World Ports Sustainability Program (WPSP). Guided by the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals, it aims to unite sustainability efforts of ports worldwide, encouraging international cooperation between all partners involved in the maritime supply chain. WPSP (sustainableworldports.org) covers five main areas of collaboration: energy transition, resilient infrastructure, safety and security, community outreach and governance.

Contact :

Victor Shieh Communications Partner, World Ports Sustainability Program (WPSP) Email : Tel : + 32 473 980 855