Hosted by Naples Port Authority and organised in association with the EcoPorts Foundation and ESPO, this year’s GreenPort conference addresses the main environmental challenges facing port managers against the backdrop of the changing economic climate. This fourth edition of conference will be held in Naples on 25-26 February.
The agenda consists of a series of parallel sessions, including one which covers the implementation of the World Port Climate Initiative (WPCI). The session includes a status report on the implementation of WPCI objectives and projects in Europe, a process which is coordinated by ESPO.
Two projects have notably reached a mature stage, one establishing an Environmental Ship Index and another setting out a toolbox for shore-side power. ESPO will be seeking broad endorsement of these projects from its membership, before proceeding to a practical test phase with shipowners and, eventually, discussion with EU policy-makers. “Presentation at GreenPort will enable us to get maximum feedback”, said ESPO Secretary General Patrick Verhoeven.
Cohabitation
The programme also includes a session dedicated to the cohabitation of ports and cities which will include presentations on best practice examples of port activities carried out close to housing and communities as well as the development of an environment for working, living and leisure-time. In this session, a new project will be presented on people living in and around ports initiated by the port of Rotterdam which involves a network of European port authorities and experts in the field of soft values and port-city relations. The project, which is supported by ESPO, will kick off in March and aims at providing practical guidance on the image of seaports, the use of soft values to retain the ‘license to operate’ of ports and ways to attract qualified people to work in ports.
EcoPorts
The second day covers the EcoPorts tools, projects and policy, reviewing notably the current SDM and PERS tools in order to incorporate changing requirements. GreenPort 2009 will conclude with a societal debate on the question whether environmental concerns are dropping down on the ports and shipping agenda given the changing economic context.
More information: https://www.green-port.net/[GreenPort website].
