IAPH Insider – 29 October 2021

 

This edition of IAPH Insider covers:

 

This week’s Insider highlights with MD Patrick Verhoeven

 

 

Discover Port Endeavor, the sustainable port game

We are delighted to announce the global launch of the IAPH Port Endeavor game, with first official live person sessions having been held last week in Belgium in partnership with our associate member APEC, the Antwerp Port Training Centre, and this week in Spain together with UNCTAD as part of its TrainForTrade programme, hosted by the Port of Gijón. Port Endeavor draws on real life examples from the 200+ strong IAPH Word Ports Sustainability Program (WPSP) database of projects and best practices on how ports integrate the UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) into their business models and operations. Its aim is to increase awareness among port management, staff and professionals working in port communities on how ports are applying UN SDGs to their business, to ultimately accelerate adoption of these measures in the port sector. Designed by port specialists for playing by port executives, management and employees alike, the game invites players to represent a fictional port with a specific role and objectives and to team up with other participants in that port to accumulate the highest number of UN SDG badges by deciding to spend limited budgets on sustainable activities. With bonus points for achieving WPSP collections of SDGs based on the Program’s five areas of interest such as Climate and Energy and Community Outreach, port teams can also be impacted by occasional disruptive events which are based on real life cases. The notion of the game was first considered following a workshop conducted by IAPH and UNCTAD in spring 2019 which was aimed at identifying which priorities were being assigned by ports in terms of the 17 UN SDGs and to set a roadmap going forward. We aim to disseminate the game through licensing partnerships with organisations such as APEC and UNCTAD TrainForTrade as well as with Sustenuto, which is another IAPH associate member, offering sustainability advisory services to terminal operators, logistics enterprises and other port-related organisations. If you want your team to play Port Endeavor, then please contact our Technical Director Antonis Michail, who can put you in contact with one of our licensed partners: [email protected].

 

 

 

IAPH Awards entries’ deadline set for 31 December

With the Port Endeavor game being rolled out with our valued partners, we mark ambitious future plans for the IAPH World Ports Sustainability Program, which is now nearly four years in operation. Our recent agreement to use WPSP as the base for all projects of the CEM Global Port Hydrogen Coalition is an example of this, as are the upcoming adjustments to the WPSP thematic areas of interest to reflect the growing demand for IAPH member ports to improve their Environmental, Societal and Governance (ESG) performance and reporting. Our well-established Awards competition will be adapted to these new themes and entries for next year’s competition will have to be submitted by 31 December this year. More details will be available soon. Following this year’s online edition, we are looking forward to hand out the Awards in person again, during the 2022 World Ports Conference, which will be held in Vancouver 16-18 May next year. You can still watch this year’s announcement of the winners in the video below.

 

 

 

IAPH and WCO workshop on port-customs collaboration

IAPH has teamed up with the World Customs Organization (WCO) to hold a workshop on customs and ports collaboration to accelerate digitalisation for trade and transport facilitation and supply chain security. The workshop is planned to be held virtually on 23 November. The workshop aims to enable the sharing of experience, best practices, and challenges in establishing and strengthening close collaboration between customs and port authorities. These are two parties that play key roles in international border crossing procedures. Yet, there is a lack of collaboration between the two authorities resulting in silos, redundant and un-coordinated processes, particularly in emerging or developing countries. Such a lack of cooperation could result from the lack of trust or mutual understanding. The need to remove barriers and overcome challenges to build efficient collaboration is therefore apparent. To this end, the workshop invites several pairs of high-level speakers, which consist of senior management officials in customs administrations and port authorities, to share their country’s experience. The workshop is exclusive for IAPH and WCO members. Invitations will be sent out shortly.

 

 

 

IAPH presented MBM submission at IMO working group

The 10th session of the IMO Intersessional Working Group on GHG Emissions from Ships (ISWG-GHG 10) took place in online format from 18 to 22 October. The key item of note for ports was the discussion on market-based measures (MBMs) and IAPH’s intervention, calling for a significant share of the MBM revenues to be directed to port investments, in developing countries, to facilitate an equitable energy transition towards low- and zero-carbon fuels. Despite the diverging opinions on appropriate measures, there was consensus amongst delegates that a more holistic approach, developing a basket of measures to fulfil the overarching IMO strategy, would be suitable. The group agreed to request the IMO secretariat to prepare an information document for the next session summarising the collation of views expressed; invite the proponents of concrete proposals for mid-term measures to prepare an initial assessment of impacts on states of their proposals and encourage proponents of concrete proposals for mid-term measures, as well as any other delegation, to further consider the development and refining of proposals. The implementation of the IMO GHG strategy will be discussed at the forthcoming meeting of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 77), which is held from 22 to 26 November. The next meetings of ISWG-GHG 11 and ISWG-GHG 12 will take place between 14-18 March and 16 to 20 May 2022 respectively. Members of the IAPH Climate and Energy Committee received a full report on ISWG-GHG 11 and will shortly get a briefing on what is to be expected from MEPC 77.

 

 

IAPH Climate and Energy Committee met 26 October

Members of the IAPH Climate and Energy Committee met online on 26 October, under the lead of chairman Peter Mollema (Port of Rotterdam) and vice-chairman Edvard Molitor (Port of Gothenburg). They discussed the recent outcome of the IMO intersessional working group on GHG emissions and the IAPH input to the forthcoming IMO Marine Environment Protection Committee meeting (MEPC 77), including our submission on market-based measures. Committee members also exchanged views on exhaust gas cleaning systems, marine plastic litter, and underwater noise, with all three topics being set for consideration during forthcoming IMO meetings (MEPC 77 and SDC 8). Regarding progress with IAPH initiatives, members were informed of the scheduled development of an ‘at berth’ module under the Environmental Ship Index (ESI), starting with cruise vessels as a pilot project for the next two years. Finally, members discussed the draft content of the Climate and Energy part of the IAPH World Ports Tracker annual survey and exchanged views towards formulating the committee’s work programme for 2022-2023, that will be presented for adoption during the next meeting of the Committee on 1 February 2022. 

 

 

IAPH supports COP 26 maritime events

The 26th UN Climate Change Conference (COP 26) will be held in Glasgow, Scotland, from 31 October to 12 November. Next to the actual summit, several industry and NGO events are being held during the week, including some covering maritime transport and ports. IAPH President Capt Subramaniam will be attending a conference co-organised by our colleagues at the British Ports Association on ‘Practical Climate Change Adaptation Challenges and Good Practice Solutions for Ports’, which will be held on 2 and 3 November. The two half-day sessions are timed to facilitate participation on day one from Europe and the Americas, and on day two from Europe and Asia/Australia. Speakers from ports around the world will explain the climate change challenges they are facing and will share experiences on what they are doing to strengthen resilience and adapt port infrastructure and operations. You can find details here, including a link to register your interest in joining this free-to-attend hybrid event. IAPH is furthermore proud to be a partner of the high-profile ‘Shaping the Future of Shipping’ conference which is organised by the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) on 6 November. The unprecedented day-long event presents a major opportunity to meet and discuss with some of the world’s leading figures on decarbonisation from across the globe, including government representatives, regulators and policymakers, and to seek the high-level political support needed to ensure progress of the industry’s decarbonisation activities. The conference will address key strategic issues in shipping’s rapidly evolving decarbonisation journey and will showcase its efforts to decarbonise and deliver a sustainable and equitable future for the industry. More information can be found on the ICS website. A comprehensive overview of all maritime-related activities at COP 26 can be found on the website of UK Maritime.

 

 

 

IAPH joined Global Maritime Forum summit in London

Held in London 27-28 October under the theme ‘Reaching the Tipping Point’, the Global Maritime Forum’s (GMF) Annual Summit set the stage for two days of collaborative discussions on the most pressing challenges and opportunities facing the maritime sector today and in the future. Bringing together top decision makers, thought leaders and experts from across the maritime spectrum and beyond, the summit is an invitation-based event with sessions held under Chatham House rules. IAPH was invited for the first time and Managing Director Patrick Verhoeven joined discussions on decarbonisation of shipping and the license to operate of the maritime industry, taking stock of new pressures and exploring avenues to improve the sector’s Environmental, Societal and Governance (ESG) performance. The summit followed on from the GMF-led Getting to Zero Coalition’s Call to Action to accelerate decarbonisation of shipping. Of the 160 companies that originally signed up to the call, twenty are port authorities, making them the second biggest company category – and the category alongside shipowners that is really engaged in all necessary actions to support decarbonisation. During the summit, the Global Maritime Forum issued two new publications, one outlining the strategy for the transition to zero-emission shipping and the 2021 Global Maritime Issues Monitor, which, for the first time in its four-year history, identifies decarbonisation of shipping as the most impactful issue, followed by new environmental legislation.

 

 

IAPH presented at GreenPort Congress in Piraeus

Last week, our Technical Director Antonis Michail and Policy and IMO Liaison Officer Rhona Macdonald joined the 2021 GreenPort Congress that was hosted by the Port of Piraeus in Greece. With over 120 participants joining the hybrid set-up in person, the congress offered good networking opportunities and allowed for optimism towards resuming the much-missed social interaction between fellow port professionals and stakeholders. Antonis gave a keynote presentation on the IAPH work and initiatives on decarbonisation of ports and shipping. He referred to the relevant content of the WPSP projects database and highlighted the overarching role of the IAPH Climate and Energy committee, in both providing the world ports’ input to the political process on cutting GHG emissions at IMO, and in streamlining efforts between initiatives of ports and other parties on decarbonisation and energy transition. Antonis focused in particular on the recent IAPH submission to MEPC 77 on market-based measures (MBMs), calling for a significant share of the revenues of an MBM to be directed to port investments, in developing countries in particular, as a means to facilitate an equitable energy transition.

 

 

 

Welcome to new associate members

We are delighted to welcome two new associate members in the field of digital transformation. Founded in 2009 by the Port of Rotterdam and the Port of Amsterdam, Portbase connects all parties in the logistics chains of Dutch ports. Via its port community system, Portbase facilitates data sharing between companies and information exchange with governments to work faster, more efficiently, and at lower costs. Gadi Benmoshe, managing director of Marinnovators, offers consulting services focusing on digital transformation, innovation, and cybersecurity in the maritime trade supply chain. Until recently, Gadi was chief information officer at Israel Ports Development & Assets Company, where he led the Israeli Port Community System (IPCS), a nationwide system, introducing advanced digital solutions to the Israeli maritime trade supply chain community.

 

 

 

TU Delft publishes open textbook on ports and waterways

Our associate member Delft University of Technology (TU Delft), represented by prof Mark van Koningsveld, recently presented an open textbook on ‘Ports and Waterways – Navigating the changing world’. The book integrates the content of a number of separate lectures used previously in teaching activities and updates this information where relevant. The integral treatment of port and waterway systems in one book reflects the university’s vision that ports and waterways should be viewed as parts of a coherent system that supports waterborne supply chains, and that their integral design and operation is essential. The decision to publish this book in TU Delft’s open textbook series, together with supporting open software developed, illustrates the philosophy that theoretical and analytical tools should be open and readily transferable whenever possible. The open textbook is available from the TU Delft website.

 

 

Member Port News

In this edition’s round up of member port news, you will find stories from the following IAPH members: 

  • Europe and Africa region: Port Autonome de San Pedro, Port Authority of Genoa, Antwerp Port Authority, HAROPA (Harbours of Le Havre, Rouen and Paris), Port of Helsinki, Port of Bergen, Port of Gdansk Authority, National Ports Agency Morocco, Autoridad Portuaria de Huelva, Autoridad Portuaria de Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Cyprus Ports Authority, Freeport of Riga Authority, Gibraltar Port Authority, Port Authority of Douala, Port of Amsterdam, Administração dos Portos de Sines e do Algarve, Autoridad Portuaria de Bilbao, Ports of Cabo Verde, Nigerian Ports Authority, Baku International Sea Trade Port, North Sea Port, Oslo Port Authority, Ports of Cabo Verde, Hamburg Port Authority, Port of Rotterdam Authority, Authority for Transport in Malta, Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority, Autoridad Portuaria de Bilbao, Autoridad Portuaria de Sevilla, bremenports, Ashdod Port Company, Autoridad Portuaria de Valencia, Autoritat Portuària de Barcelona. 
  • America Region: Port of Los Angeles, Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, Port Authority of the Cayman Islands, Port of San Diego, Autoridad Marítima de Panamá, Port of Seattle. 
  • Asia and Oceania Region: Sabah Ports, Westports Malaysia, Ports and Maritime Organization (PMO) Iran, Ports of Auckland, Lyttelton Port Company, Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, Sri Lanka Ports Authority, Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, Taiwan International Ports Corporation, Abu Dhabi Ports, Guangzhou Port Authority, Marine and Water Bureau Government of Macau, PSA International, Yeosu Gwangyang Port Authority, Busan Port Authority, Incheon Port Authority, Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries Korea, Port Nelson

 

 

World Maritime News

These maritime news stories made the headlines over the past two weeks: 

  • Recovery from supply chain disruption requires effective and coordinated action
  • Empty container issue worsens supply chain disruption
  • Widespread port congestion
  • Outlook for container rates
  • Singapore uses Tuas port yard to cope with congestion in global supply chain
  • Reefer sector loses its allure
  • IAPH argues MBM revenue should go to ports in developing countries
  • FuelEU rules open to abuse, say EU shipowners

 

 

Calendar of Events

IAPH events and events where IAPH is represented

 

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