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.

Friday, 12 March 2021 11:47

Resilience4Ports: Gateways to a resilient future

Posted by #NavClimate Focal Point

font size decrease font size increase font size
Print
Email

At the end of phase one of their Resilience4Ports project, The Resilience Shift has launched a new report on the resilience of ports.

The report, 'Resilience4Ports: Gateways to a resilient future’ identifies 36 current and future trends and developments facing ports and examines the four main drivers of change: decarbonisation, technological change, ports communities and the environment impacting the ports ecosystem. It explains why resilience can provide a uniting force for action on multiple transformations currently facing the ports industry and the wider ports ecosystem, and identifies four action areas for cross-industry collaboration to help drive change and address the challenges:

- Learn the lessons from Covid-19 and Brexit on how ports respond to shocks and stresses so the industry can better respond to future crises.

- Develop guidance for an integrated approach to intersecting port transformations and resilience challenges.

- Promote port investment that enhances whole system resilience, increases flow of finance to where it is most needed and maximises system-level benefits

- Convene the ports' value chain to understand and shape resilience including port specific resilience appraisal and enhancements.

The key message is: Ports are key to delivering a prosperous, low-carbon, resilient future. A whole-systems approach is what is needed to deliver that transformation.

More information can be found at https://www.resilienceshift.org/resilience4ports-gateways-to-a-resilient-future/