Ports Australia launched its world first Port Sustainability Strategy Development Guide on 23 September 2020.
Ports Australia has endeavoured with this Guide to provide Australian ports with a systematic and robust approach to sustainability as they prepare their strategies or evolve the work they have already done.
The approach has been industry applied throughout Australia and New Zealand, but equally has the potential to be adapted through ports across the world.
The Guide follows on from Ports Australia’s 2019 ‘Ports and a Sustainable Australia’, which went hand in hand with a Sustainability Hub, both projects showcasing the amazing work Australian ports are already doing for the sustainability of their business and surrounding communities and environments.
The Sustainability Strategy Development Guide was produced with input from Ports Australia’s Sustainability Working Group, as well as Sprott Planning & Environment.
In a press release Ports Australia spoke with the Chair of its Sustainability Working Group, Simona Trimarchi, who provided her perspective on sustainability planning and how this guide provides a fresh approach.
“Given the nature of what ports do and the incredible amount of value we provide to regional and national economies and the natural environments and communities in which we operate, sustainability planning is critical,” Trimarchi said.
“The guide is different in that it is a how-to on sustainability, it gets into the detail of how to start looking at sustainability for your business, how to define sustainability, and then how to develop a logical and structured plan on how to advance it over time.
“It also includes the ethos of sustainability principles, how to make actions practical and results tangible, as well as looking at the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and how to factor what they mean into your specific port business’ sustainability strategy so that it has an ultimately holistic approach,” Trimarchi ended.
CEO, Mike Gallacher reiterated Ports Australia’s belief in sustainable practice and how it should be positioned at the core of business, community and environmental practice.
“I’ve repeated time again that ports are not just trade gateways, they’re community members operating along Australian coastlines which aren’t just beautiful locations, but socially and ecologically important environments.”
Gallacher speaks to Port Technology International in the 100 Edition of the Journal
“We recognised that sustainability, just like the ports sector, is unique. There is no one size that fits all, which is why this Guide had to be made adaptable to suit any port wanting to future-proof their business,” Gallacher said.
