The 2018 GreenPort Congress conference invites industry experts to discuss the reduction of emissions in depth, offering insight into how ports and shipping terminals can tackle their rising emissions.

Fareham UK – The IMO’s International Marine Environment Protection Committee met in London, UK last week to agree a global plan for reducing emissions levels within the shipping sector. With container ships fuel  reportedly having  3,500 times more sulphur than car diesel, there have been recent calls for the global shipping industry to reduce emissions, proposing a 50% cut by 2050. International shipping carries about 90% of world trade, but so far there has been no official regulation of carbon emission. 

One conference session, ‘Collaboration between ports and shipping’, will cover what ship operators are doing to embrace sustainability, meet regulations and prepare for the future. Moderated by David Thomas, Deputy Executive Director, Maryland Port Administration the session will welcome speakers from Royal Caribbean Cruises, Maersk Line/Maersk Agency USA, The Ocean Exchange and the Port and Harbour Bureau, Yokohama- Japan, offering an international perspective on how ports can implement new, innovative and greener strategies. 

A further session on ‘Measuring environmental performance, monitoring and reporting of environmental practices’, will cover the challenges and opportunities for improving environmental performance and sustainability within ports, terminals and shipping lines. Moderated by Chris Wooldridge, Cardiff University, the session will conclude with emphasis on monitoring and reporting, highlighting the need to track and record the emissions each port is producing, and supervise its deflation. 

The 2018 hosts of the inaugural GreenPort Congress America, the Helen Delich Bentley Port of Baltimore, the Maryland Department of Transportation, and the Maryland Department of the Environment, have previously been recognized for their environmental efforts, successfully balanced moving the state’s economy forward while protecting the environment and public health.

The 2018 theme is Green Ports are Smart Ports, highlighting that without an emissions clean-up there are warnings that shipping could account for almost a fifth of carbon emissions by 2050.