A Call to Action

The Challenge

As international trade continues to increase each year, port cities are booming from the increase in jobs, taxes, and secondary industries supporting the transportation and distribution of these goods. However, the increase in goods movement has also led to the increase in air emissions from port-related maritime activities as well as local and regional goods-transport. The potential health risk impacts associated with the goods movement sector have extended fully along the network between manufacturer and consumer.

Some of this impact can be seen in and adjacent to port marine terminals because all modes of transport (trucks, ships, cargo handling equipment, harbor craft, and rail locomotives) often meet at these intermodal hubs. When residential communities are located adjacent to port marine terminals, the residents are exposed to emissions from international, regional, and local freight movement sources. National and regional regulations control a subset of the source categories, with little overarching regulation. International regulations, as they stand now, likewise provide limited controls.

There is a special 祖all to action' between ports around the world to address international port-related air quality issues. In the last years, within the International Association of Ports and Harbors important discussions have been held between international ports and industries on how to address these issues on both the local and international fronts. This has resulted in the adoption of a resolution on Clean Air Programs for Ports at the 25th World Port Conference in Houston , Texas on 4 May 2007 in which the Members of IAPH have resolved that:

•  IAPH reaffirms its recognition of ports' need to adopt clean air programs to better sustain development of the global society and its commitment to promote integrated approaches in such programs.

•  IAPH urges ports, members and non-members alike, to take active and effective steps towards clean air programs while stressing the critical need to develop integrated action plans for respective ports and recognizing that no one-size-fits-all solution exists for ports with their large variations in pollution level, emission sources, geographical and meteorological conditions;

•  IAPH will continue to provide a unique and effective forum to share best practices and experiences among the world's ports and various parties concerned, and will develop and disseminate guidelines, reference materials and information.

IAPH will collaborate further with UN agencies and other international organizations such as the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), the Oil Companies International Marine Forum (OCIMF) and regional Port and Trade Associations to achieve the goal of creating clean air programs thereby assisting in the abatement of global warming.

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