The British Ports Association produced a series of infographics highlighting the importance of ports to the UK’s economy. The cards use recent UK Port Freight Statistics released by the Department for Transport, and an economic impact study data produced for sector umbrella group Maritime UK to highlight the value of the UK ports industry. The figures show that collectively the industry employs 101,000 people, handles almost 500m tonnes of freight and contributes £7.6bn to the economy.
Highlights
- UK ports handle 95% of all UK trade
- Over 101,000 people are directly employed by the ports industry
- Over £1.7bn privately financed port infrastructure projects in the pipeline
- Almost 500m tones of freight handled by UK ports this year
Sustainable Development
The BPA’s Sustainable Development Resolution commits BPA to working collaboratively with ports, Government and NGOs. Specifically we have committed to 15 actions, including:
- Encouraging members to continue acting as responsible custodians of the marine environment by building and maintaining infrastructure within the principles of sustainable development
- Reducing road congestion and overall freight carbon dioxide emissions
- Supporting major port members in the development of new air quality plans to reduce emissions within their Harbour Areas and sharing good practice amongst industry
- Continuing to promote and support the EcoPorts initiative in the UK
- Supporting sustainable fisheries that are economically and biologically viable for the next generation of UK coastal communities.
In terms of its agenda, British Ports Association are continuing to push for areas around ports to be classified with a special planning and enterprise status and for increased public investment in port connectivity schemes to help stimulate port development and growth.
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