The Port of Rotterdam Authority has announced the launch of the World Ports Climate Action Program. In this new international initiative, the port authorities of Hamburg, Barcelona, Antwerp, Los Angeles, Long Beach, Vancouver, and Rotterdam will be joining forces and working together on a number of projects that address the issue of global warming.

The World Ports Climate Action Program focuses on several specific actions. It aims to increase efficiency of supply chains using digital tools; advance common and ambitious public policy approaches aimed at reducing emissions within larger geographic areas; accelerate development of in-port renewable power-2-ship solutions and other zero emission solutions; accelerate the development of commercially viable sustainable low-carbon fuels for maritime transport and infrastructure for electrification of ship propulsion systems; accelerate efforts to fully de-carbonize cargo-handling facilities in the ports.

“The Paris Agreement set a clear target,” noted Allard Castelein, president and CEO of the Port of Rotterdam Authority. “We need to limit global warming to well below 2°C. It is vital in this context to reduce the emissions generated by maritime transport. As critical hubs in the global maritime transport network, I am convinced that ports can make a significant contribution. I am pleased to see that international port authorities have taken on a leading role in this area, committing to collaborative projects that can further advance the de-carbonization of the maritime transport sector.”

The port authorities called upon the shipping industry and other ports to join the commitment to deliver on the Paris Agreement and to work together on actions that yield measurable results.

To increase the impact of the program, the port authority network asks governments and regulators to adopt global—or, at the very least, international—policies for CO2 pricing and provide funding support to relevant R&D and pilot projects.

The participants in the World Ports Climate Action Program will work in collaboration with stakeholders inside and outside the maritime sector. As a first action, the partners will be drawing up a work plan. They will use the World Ports Sustainability Program to reach out and communicate progress of this Climate Action program.