T&E’s ranking of Europe’s ports by carbon emissions puts the spotlight on ports to do more to clean up shipping while industry profits soar.
Rotterdam has been labeled Europe’s top carbon-polluting port by the non-governmental organization Transport & Environment (T&E).
The Port of Rotterdam, Europe’s busiest seaport, is associated with almost 14 million tonnes of CO2 each year, putting it on a par with Europe’s fifth biggest industrial polluter – the Weisweiler coal power plant in Germany, according to a new T&E study ranking ports’ carbon emissions.
Antwerp and Hamburg come in second and third, while three of the top 10 polluting ports are in Spain. T&E) calls on ports to get behind EU-wide efforts to reduce shipping’s climate impact as the industry experiences bumper profits.
T&E’s study assessed carbon emissions from ships departing and entering ports from across the supply chain, as well emissions from activities at port like loading, unloading and refueling.
“The shipping industry is making a killing right now. Ports are at the heart of this and their climate impact is enormous,” said Jacob Armstrong, sustainable shipping officer at T&E. “Yet, instead of getting behind proposals to clean up shipping, like comprehensive port electrification and mandates for green fuels, ports simply aren’t doing enough to clean up the sector.”
T&E says the European Commission can help ports by directing revenues from the upcoming carbon market to clean fuel infrastructure in ports. The group is also calling on ports to support the EU’s green infrastructure law (AFIR), which is currently under discussion in the European Parliament and the Council, with a final text expected in the second half of 2022.
“Ports can have a direct impact in greening our planet by providing clean shipping infrastructure. This means installing hydrogen-based refueling infrastructure and shore-side electrification that would allow ships to turn off their engines and plug in at port. This would also significantly improve the lives of those living near what are currently some of the most polluted places on earth,” said Armstrong.
U.S. container imports experienced a 9% decrease in November 2023 compared to October 2023, according to the latest U.S. imports report from Descartes Systems Group. This decline was most pronounced...
Two-stroke ship engine manufacturer WinGD is moving forward with plans with introduce the world’s first ammonia-fuelled bulk carriers with Belgian bulk carrier operator CMB.TECH. The Swiss marine power company on...
The Port of Auckland Limited (POAL) has been sentenced in New Zealand following their guilty plea to two charges under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015. The charges...
December 4, 2023
Total Views: 1650
Let gCaptain be your compass for maritime news
The news that you need delivered every morning.
Sign Up Now for gCaptain Daily
We’ve got your daily industry news related to the global maritime and offshore industries.
OUT AT SEA?
We’ve got you covered with trusted maritime and offshore news from wherever you are.
OUT AT SEA?
We’ve got you covered with trusted maritime and offshore news from wherever you are.
JOIN OUR CREW
Maritime and offshore news trusted by our 96,879 members delivered daily straight to your inbox.
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.