New Challenges and Opportunities for Sustainable Ports: The Deep Demonstration in Maritime Hubs Project

Abstract

Environmental challenges related to ports are twofold, namely the effects of maritime transport on the environment (e.g. pollution, CO2 emissions) and conversely the environmental impact on maritime transport e.g. Climatic Variability and Change. This chapter 6 presents an overview of main challenges faced today, to engage port proactively take the responsibility of providing reward schemes or green certificates to complied ships, and to identify key indicators in measuring GHG emissions. European Union has put into force a number of Directives and Regulations aiming to incentivise port and shipping companies to commit to comply with environmental standards. The IMO 2020 regulation, bringing the sulphur cap in fuel oil for ships down from 3.50 per cent to 0.50 per cent, is expected to bring significant benefits for human health and the environment, while the European Green Deal, the most ambitious action plan of European Union, aims at increasing the EU's greenhouse gas emission reductions target for 2030 to at least 50% compared with 1990 levels, creating the most ambitious package of measures, accompanied by an initial roadmap of key policies in cutting-edge research and innovation, in green technologies and sustainable solutions. Among them, Deep Demonstrations by EIT Climate-KIC using systems innovation approach aim at the decarbonisation of the European ports and the sustainable transformation of their key elements.

Environmental Issues of European Cargo Ports

“…The European Union regulatory environmental framework regarding the European ports' environmental policies includes the Natura 2000 ecological network including all Special Protection Areas, reduction in the sulphur content of certain liquid fuels, framework for port reception facilities for the delivery of waste from ships, the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure, regulation on shipments of http://epublishing.ekt.gr | e-Publisher: at 09/08/2021 07:06:23 | 96 waste, and voluntary participation by organizations in a Community eco-management and audit scheme (EMAS) (Alexandropoulou et al, 2021). On December 2019, the European Green Deal, developed a strategy on implementing the United Nation's 2030 Agenda and the SDGs, by increasing the European Union's greenhouse gas emission reductions target for 2030 to at least 50% and towards 55% compared with 1990 levels.…”

“…On December 2019, the European Green Deal, developed a strategy on implementing the United Nation's 2030 Agenda and the SDGs, by increasing the European Union's greenhouse gas emission reductions target for 2030 to at least 50% and towards 55% compared with 1990 levels. The Green Deal aims to 90% reduction in the transport emissions by 2050, boosting the supply of sustainable alternative transport fuels for aviation, shipping and road transport (Alexandropoulou et al, 2021). The greening of the shipping sector is priority for European ports.…”