FEATURE Sustainable ports With the maritime industry making a concentrated effort to reach environmental sustainability goals, Amber Hickman looks at some of the ports around the world changing for a greener future There are not many years until the International Maritime Organization’s 2030 checkpoint for greenhouse gas emissions. The aim is to reduce annual emissions from international shipping by 30 per cent by 2030 to ensure the sector remains on track to reach zero emissions by 2050. To achieve this, the maritime industry is working hard to make improvements that reduce its impact on the environment. Cruise lines are investing in various solutions and initiatives, such as alternative fuels, ecofriendly technology, advanced wastewater treatment systems and equipping their ships with shore power capabilities. For example, MSC Cruises made 44 shore power connections at eight ports in 2023, but is aiming to increase this to 220 connections by the end of 2024. Meanwhile, Royal Caribbean Group is continuing to retrofit its ships with shore power capabilities, with 30 of them upgraded to date, and Carnival Corporation has now provided 64 per cent of its fleet with shore power capabilities, an increase from 57 per cent in 2022. Furthermore, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings is currently on track to meet its goal of having 70 per cent of its fleet equipped with shore power technology, having already met its 2024 goal of 50 per cent. To accommodate these ships, ports are making changes to their infrastructure too. The Port of Seattle in Washington, USA, for instance, is currently working towards electrifying its third and final berth so that it can provide shore power to all visiting cruise ships. Furthermore, PortMiami in Florida, USA, completed its Shore Power Program at the end of 2023, enabling it to offer shore power at five cruise terminals. In the following pages, we highlight some of the other ports around the world that are making changes to improve not only their environmental sustainability, but the ecological impact of the ships that visit them too. Port of Dover, UK As part of the UK’s drive to reach netzero shipping by 2050, the Port of Dover is rapidly progressing towards decarbonising the route across the English Channel, the world’s busiest maritime corridor. It has already reduced its carbon emissions by 96 per cent (as of 2023) since 2007 and is aiming to become the first UK port to be carbon net zero for Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2025, and Scope 3 emissions by 2030. As an additional initiative to encourage green operations, the port also gives the Port of Dover SEA (Safety and Environment Awareness) Award to visiting cruise lines with the best recycling methods, waste segregation, carbon emissions and safety procedures. 174
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