Page 14 - European Energy Innovation - Autumn 2016 publication
P. 14
14 Autumn 2016 European Energy Innovation
PORTS
European ports are thinking
climate
By Isabelle Ryckbost (pictured)
The climate is changing. If public and economic responsibilities. further. Since energy is an important
we want to limit global They need to secure their “licence”, they commodity for many ports, climate
warming to well below must ensure towards the people living change - and the fight against climate
2°C, everyone will have to around the port and society as a whole change - could become a game
contribute, also ports. that their operations and investments stopper. Ports realise that anticipating
are sustainable. They cannot just wait on this proactively, can allow ports to
The COP21 UN climate talks in Paris and see. The recent fact finding survey turn the path towards decarbonisation
in December failed in achieving an which ESPO has been running in the into a successful business case.
agreement on an emission reduction framework of the EU funded Portopia
target for international shipping. project shows some interesting figures But working on mitigation will often
Unfortunately. Shipping being a global in that respect. not be sufficient. Even if it is “all
industry, this international Climate hands on deck” to limit the warming
Summit would have been the right Overall, 78% of European port of our planet, experts are telling us
place and time to engage the shipping authorities consider it as an objective to that we will not be able to avoid all
industry towards a carbon low future. ensure that port activity is sustainable negative consequences of climate
in the long run. Looking at energy, the change completely. Adapting the
But what about ports? Should they wait survey shows that 25% of ports have port infrastructure to the effects of the
for what will happen with the shipping more than half of their traffic linked to warming will be a must for every port.
sector? energy commodities. It also reveals that Ports are literally on the first row when
38% of port authorities are facilitators sea levels are rising and when extreme
Ports are not only accommodating weather conditions lead to strong
ships. Ports are energy nodes and of renewable energy production in the winds, storms and extreme waves.
clusters of industry. Moreover, port port. 16% of port authorities are even
authorities in Europe assume both investing or co-investing in renewable So standing on the side-lines is simply
energy production. Moreover, ports not an option for European ports.
expect that jobs related to renewable
energy will grow considerably in That is why ESPO decided last
the next five years. Finally, energy December to join the PIANC-led
consumption has become second Think Climate Coalition. Think
in the ESPO top 10 ranking of Climate brings together major
environmental priorities of European international associations with
ports that was published this spring. interests in waterborne transport
infrastructure, in order to help the
It is without saying that tackling climate sector respond to climate change.
change is of paramount importance By further understanding, providing
for ports. Reducing greenhouse gas targeted technical support and
emissions and developing a low carbon building capacity, the coalition has
strategy is on top of their agenda. a double aim: first of all, to promote
This strategy is in the first place aimed the reduction of greenhouse gas
at limiting the energy consumption emissions, by shifting to low carbon
linked to the transport and industrial maritime and inland waterway transport
activities in the port. But given the infrastructure, secondly, address ways
fact that ports play a crucial role in the to adapt maritime and waterborne
energy landscape, this strategy can go infrastructure and operations to the
www.europeanenergyinnovation.eu
