Tug operators will need to act to reduce their environmental footprint in key Scandinavian ports after authorities agreed to collaborate to prevent climate change
As the world’s political leaders and climate diplomats begin carbon reduction talks in Madrid, Spain, 11 ports in the Nordic region have agreed to co-operate to lower harbour emissions. Tugs are expected to be included in these processes as they are on the frontline of port services.
Port of Gothenburg said it will collaborate with ports in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden in a declaration to reduce emissions.
This comes as up to 50 world leaders conduct talks in Madrid at the COP25 conference, where UN Secretary General António Guterres warned the world is heading towards a “point of no return” on climate change.
Ports will share approaches including developing alternative energy and fuel sources, air and water pollution-reduction technologies with a focus on terminal operations, ships in port and operations in territorial waters. This will also include biodiversity and preventing invasive species, supporting ecosystems and developing sustainable solutions.
This collaboration includes ports in Gothenburg, Stockholm, Helsingborg, Malmö, Copenhagen, Aarhus, Esbjerg, Oslo, Helsinki, Torshavn and Faxaports in Iceland.
Ports need to collaborate to reduce the overall environmental footprint of the industry said Gothenburg Port Authority environmental manager Edvard Molitor.
“No one can solve the climate challenges alone,” he explained. “Co-operation and consensus between ports and other actors are required to move forward.
“The more we work together and exchange experiences, the better and stronger we can become collectively,” Mr Molitor said.
Environmental developments and technologies in the European tug industry were presented in November at a conference attended by Tug Technology & Business in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
Tug operators discussed using technologies to reduce emissions including hybrid propulsion, energy storage, LNG fuel and potentially hydrogen fuel cells.
The Port of Gothenburg is involved in several other collaborations globally to reduce emissions. These include the World Ports Climate Action Programme where the Port of Gothenburg formed a network with ports in Amsterdam, Antwerp, Barcelona, Bremen, Busan, Hamburg, Le Havre, Los Angeles, Long Beach, New York/New Jersey, Rotterdam and Vancouver in a number of projects addressing global warming.
These port authority organisations have urged the shipping industry and other ports to join the commitment to deliver on the Paris Agreement on climate change and to work together on actions that yield measurable results.
Technologies for reducing maritime emissions and fuel consumption will be discussed at Riviera Maritime Media’s Optimised Ship Forum in London, on 10 December
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