The ESPO/EcoPorts Port Environmental Review 2009 confirms positive trends in port environmental performance and management. The results of the review were presented during the closing session of the GreenPort 2010 conference in Stockholm.
The review provides substantive evidence of the sector’s progress towards the key aims of raising awareness, sharing knowledge and implementing Environmental Management Systems.
The results confirm the positive trends of port management response options in dealing with their liabilities and responsibilities and in terms of delivering continuous improvement of environmental quality and sustainable development. These have been achieved by organizational initiatives focused on monitoring, cost reduction, risk analysis and environmental reporting.
The main results of the survey can be summarised as follows:
– global, headline issues including climate change, energy consumption, and stakeholder involvement join the list of priority environmental issues of significance identified in the latest port sector environmental review;
– noise, air quality and waste management lead the ‘Top-Ten’ environmental priorities just ahead of operational activities such as dredging and port expansion;
– the European port sector can demonstrate continuing progress and positive trends in terms of its benchmark performance on such critically important issues as implementation of environmental policy, management, monitoring of environmental improvement and systematic reporting.
The executive summary of the results is available from the https://www.espo.be/Publications/Studies,_Reports_and_Surveys.aspx[ESPO website].
