IAPH: New Start with the World Ports Sustainability Program

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Authorship

Susumu Naruse, Secretary General, International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH), Tokyo, Japan

Publication

Ports from all over the world came together in Rotterdam, the Netherlands in July, 2008 for the C40 World Ports Climate Conference, under the slogan of “world ports for a better climate”. This port environment conference, the first of its kind, was organized at the initiative of three bodies, the City of Rotterdam, the Port of Rotterdam and a network of cities committed to addressing climate change called the C40 Large Cities Climate Leadership Group.

In an effort to jointly reduce the threat of global climate change, the 55 ports unanimously adopted the C40 World Ports Climate Declaration, in which they recognized they had a responsibility to contribute towards combatting global climate change and improving air quality through:

• Reduction of Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions from oceangoing shipping 
• Reduction of GHG emissions from port operations and development
• Reduction of GHG emissions from hinterland transport
• Enhancement of the use of renewable energy
• Development and auditing of CO2 inventories

As sustainable reduction of GHG emissions requires a long-term commitment and approach, IAPH later that year moved ahead by launching its own environment initiative called World Ports Climate Initiative (WPCI) to provide ports in the world with a mechanism to combat climate change. Attended by 50 participants from 15 ports, an inaugural ceremony and symposium was organized by the IAPH Port Environment Committee, to discuss how the world’s major ports can continue to play key roles in transport and economy, while reducing their carbon footprints.

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