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Key Europe, US West Coast ports join global warming reduction programme

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Doing their part to reduce global warming, a number of ports including the Port of Antwerp are participating in the World Ports Climate Action Programme.

The new international initiative brings together the port authorities of Hamburg, Barcelona, Rotterdam, Los Angeles, Long Beach, Vancouver and Antwerp, who will be joining forces and working together on a number of projects that address the issue.

The international collaboration was announced during the opening session of the Global Climate Action Summit in San Francisco this week.

“The Paris Agreement has set a clear target: we need to limit global warming to well below 2°C. It is vital in this context to reduce the emissions generated by maritime transport. As critical hubs in the global maritime transport network, I am convinced that ports can make a significant contribution. I am pleased to see that international port authorities have taken on a leading role in this area, committing to collaborative projects that can further advance the decarbonization of the maritime transport sector,” the various chief executives said in a joint statement.

Learn more about green ports at Seatrade Maritime Middle East in October 2018

The World Ports Climate Action Programme focuses on the following specific actions: Increase efficiency of supply chains using digital tools; Advance common and ambitious (public) policy approaches aimed at reducing emissions within larger geographic areas; Accelerate development of in-port renewable power-to-ship solutions and other zero emission solutions; Accelerate the development of commercially viable sustainable low-carbon fuels for maritime transport and infrastructure for electrification of ship propulsion systems; Accelerate efforts to fully decarbonize cargo-handling facilities in the ports.

The port authority organisations called upon the shipping industry and other ports to join the commitment to deliver on the Paris Agreement and to work together on actions that yield measurable results.

To increase the impact of the programme, the port authority network asks governments and regulators to adopt global, or at least international, policies for CO2 pricing and provide funding support to relevant R&D and pilot projects.

The participants in the World Ports Climate Action Programme will work in close collaboration with stakeholders inside and outside the maritime sector. As a first action, the partners will be drawing up a work plan. They will use the World Ports Sustainability Programme (https://sustainableworldports.org) to reach out and communicate progress of this Climate Action programme.