The International Association of Cities and Ports (IACP) and the International Institute of Port Cities (IIPC) want to pool their efforts to limit the environmental impact of port activities in urban areas.
impact of port activities in urban areas. To this end, the two institutions, based respectively in Le Havre in France and Chile, will be equipping players in the sector from Europe, Africa and America with eco-responsible practices. Over a period of eight months, a number of courses focusing on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will be given to learners.
These include adaptation to climate change, the energy transition, the circular economy, sustainable mobility, renewed governance, investment in human capital, port culture and identity, quality food and health for all, and the protection of marine biodiversity (SDG14). According to the experts, spills, run-off and groundwater contamination from ship operations have an impact on the quality of water and aquatic species, as well as on the attractiveness of cities (odours).
“IACP’s ambition is to improve the relationship between city and port within the framework of mutual cooperation for more sustainable, responsible and innovative urban, port and economic development by placing the citizen at the heart of its action. As a player in globalisation, the port city is a laboratory for the economy of tomorrow, where innovations must be encouraged”, says the non-governmental organisation (NGO), whose members include the autonomous ports of Douala (PAD) in Cameroon and Casablanca in Morocco.
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There are similar initiatives on the African continent. One example is the “Green Terminal” label launched by the French industrial group Bolloré Ports to reward efforts to preserve the environment within its port concessions. Since 2021, Owendo Container in Gabon, Dakar Terminal in Senegal and Terminal Roulier d’Abidjan (TERRA) have been among the winners of this distinction, thanks to their efforts to reduce plastic waste and CO2 emissions from their equipment, as well as noise pollution.
Benoit-Ivan Wansi