Barcelona Container Port Photo: Davies / CC-BY-SA

The Port of Barcelona is a participating incentive provider in the World Ports Climate Initiative's Environmental Ship Index.

Mitigation and moving towards low carbon waterborne transport infrastructure

All sectors must play their part in climate change mitigation. The waterborne transport infrastructure sector is no exception.

Port and waterway infrastructure and operations typically account for only a very small proportion of the total greenhouse gas emissions associated with the shipment of a particular consignment. The most significant proportion by far is associated with the sea voyage, and a varying amount with connecting transport.

It is nonetheless important that the owners, operators and users of waterborne transport infrastructure take steps to minimise the emissions associated with their activities if they are to contribute to the ‘less-than-2-degrees’ pathway.

The associations represented on the the Navigating a Changing Climate Partnership recognise the importance – and the urgency – of implementing effective mitigation measures and of moving towards low carbon infrastructure.

Coalition members further acknowledge the need for innovation alongside conventional emissions-reduction measures: for example initiatives aimed at improving integration to increase energy efficiency or at creating carbon sinks in coastal areas by Working with Nature.

As with other sectors, such innovation has the potential to bring associated social, employment and economic opportunities.

Wednesday, 27 October 2021 08:29

Join us virtually at COP26

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COP26 in Glasgow is just around the corner with various events of relevance to the ports and navigation sector, for example:

- on 2 and 3 November, a conference organised by the UK ports entitled ‘Practical climate change adaptation solutions for ports’.  It is a hybrid (in person and online) event, free to attend, with port speakers from around the globe.  You can find details and register at https://www.maritimeuk.org/imh-2021/imh-events/adaptation-solutions-ports/

- on 8 November, the launch of the ‘Sediment Management and Climate Change’ pledge.  This important output of the SedNet-NavClimate workshop in February 2021 and the follow up EnviCom-NavClimate workshop in September 2021, is now open for endorsement on the SedNet website at https://sednet.org/climate-change-and-sediment-management-pledge/.  The pledge is potentially relevant to many in the navigation and dredging sectors, so please take a look, and if you share our ambitions – endorse the pledge!  The more signatories we have, the more impact we can have...

- a programme of maritime events at the International Maritime Hub - see https://maritimeuk.org/imh-2021/

- a programme of wider transport sectors events - see https://slocat.net/cop26/

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