Attended by 55 ports from across the world, the C40 World Ports Climate Conference (WPCC) convened in Rotterdam, 9-11 July 2008, adopted at its closing session the "World Ports Climate Declaration", in which the participating ports actively commit themselves to reduce CO2 emissions and improve air quality.

The International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH) has actively supported the conference from early planning stage and, as a consequence, a follow-up meeting to work on the agreed actions will take place in November 2008 in the port and city of Los Angeles, USA.

Among VIPS addressing the audience were the Honorable Ivo Opstelten, Mayor of Rotterdam, Mr. Ruud Lubbers, former prime minister of the Netherlands (the conference chairman) and IMO Secretary General Mr. Efthimos Mitropoulos.

At the closing ceremony moderated by former IAPH President Pieter Struijs, the Conference Director, IAPH President Phang made a presentation entitled "World's Ports and Challenge to Climate Change", in which she urged the world port community to take action without delay, calling for a worldwide and sustained approach to successfully contribute to abatement of the global warming and a close collaboration with IMO and other international bodies, regional ports associations such as AAPA and ESPO, and C40 leading ports.

> Rlease more in the press release issued by IAPH (July 18, 2008)