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, 02 June 2021 15:48

Sediment management: climate change opportunties and challenges

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Following the hugely successful joint NavClimate-SedNet workshop 'Sediment management opportunities to address the climate change challenge' (held as an online event in February 2021), the workshop summary document has now been published on the SedNet website (see https://sednet.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Summary-and-outcomes-NavClimate-SedNet.pdf)

This overview report recalls the objective of the workshop, highlights the presentations made in each of the following four sessions, and records the outcomes of the panel discussion/the conclusions reached by participants in the context of key opportunities, challenges and research needs. The four themes were:

- Role of sediment management in carbon sequestration and storage: opportunities to contribute to a net reduction in greenhouse gas emissions

- Sediments and climate change adaptation: seeking flexible and adaptive solutions to strengthen resilience and adapt port and navigation
infrastructure and operations

- Habitat enhancement and creation, Working-with-Nature and other nature-based solutions

- Sediment management, circular economy and the waste hierarchy: reduce, reuse, recycle

It was clear from the workshop that, whilst there are some barriers to be overcome (including changing perceptions, scaling up and accessing finance), there are also tremendous opportunities 

By addressing the challenges and seizing opportunities, everybody involved in sediment management - from port and waterway operators to dredging contractors to researchers - can help make a real difference to reducing emissions, strengthening resilience and facilitating sustainable adaptation to the changing climate. 

 

 

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