BPA becomes a partner of the IAPH World Ports Sustainability Program

The British Ports Association has joined the World Ports Sustainability Programme as a partner to join the global drive to improve the ports industry’s further integration of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals in their business and operations. The World Ports Sustainability Program (WPSP) was founded in 2018 by the International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH), of which the BPA is an associate member.

This the first major step the BPA is taking in a more sustained and coordinated effort to support UK ports in decarbonising their operations. The BPA represents over 400 ports, terminals and port facilities, accounting for 86% of UK port tonnage as well as all the major energy and passenger hubs. Joining the WPSP will give BPA members access to the IAPH’s extensive global suite of port environmental best practices and networks.

The program seeks to enhance and coordinate future sustainability efforts of ports worldwide and foster international cooperation with partners in the supply chain, covering climate and energy, resilience, community outreach, health safety and security, governance and ethics.

Earlier this year, the BPA and IAPH recently jointly hired Rhona Macdonald as the BPA’s sustainability advisor and IAPH’s IMO liaison officer. Rhona will play a key role supporting UK ports in their sustainability efforts.

Commenting, Mark Simmonds, the BPA’s Director of Policy and External Affairs, said:

“I am delighted that the BPA is joining the WPSP as a partner. Our members are extremely diverse in their size, business model, speciality and in terms of where they are on their sustainability ‘journey’. Some of our members are already engaged with the programme, but this will give more UK ports the opportunity to learn from and contribute to a growing global bank of knowledge, experience and expertise.”

IAPH Technical Director Antonis Michail commented : “Having BPA join the Program as partner will also give us the opportunity to further share best practices from UK ports as they submit their own innovative sustainability projects. We also look forward to BPA experts working alongside and providing input into our technical committees and partnership programmes”

About IAPH

Founded in 1955, the International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH) is a non-profit-making global alliance of 170 ports and 140 port-related organisations covering 90 countries. Its member ports handle more than 60 percent of global maritime trade and around 80 percent of world container traffic. IAPH has consultative NGO status with several United Nations agencies, including the IMO. Through its knowledge base and access to regulatory bodies, IAPH aims to facilitate energy transition, accelerate digitalization and assist in improving overall resilience of its member ports in a constantly changing world. In 2018, IAPH established the World Ports Sustainability Program (WPSP). Guided by the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals, it aims to unite sustainability efforts of ports worldwide by sharing best practices through its project portfolio and collaborative partnerships.

About BPA

The British Ports Association is a national membership body for ports. We represent the interests of operators that handle 86% of all UK port traffic, to Westminster and devolved Governments, and other national and international bodies. The BPA’s aims are to:

• Dedicate resources to representing a wide variety of UK port interests to government in the UK and internationally;
• Provide a resource for its members on legislative and policy issues, as well as a forum for the exchange of knowledge and development of best practice;
• Work towards achieving an equitable and transparent ports industry and a level playing field throughout Europe;
• Promote the use of ports and shipping as an environmentally sustainable mode of transport.