While the voting procedure for the 2019 GREEN4SEA Awards is open, Mr. Andreas Slotte, Head of Sustainable Development, Port of Helsinki, says that the port has been very active in sustainable development for which it has been nominated in the ‘Port’ category among other distinguished nominees. Mr Slotte notes that a ‘win-win situation’ where energy savings benefit both the environment and the income statement can be achieved; in this regard, change in mindset and the current business model are needed.
SAFETY4SEA: Your organization has been shortlisted for the 2019 GREEN4SEA Awards in the ‘Port’ category alongside a number of other distinguished nominees. What would you like to share with industry’s stakeholders with respect to this development?
Andreas Slotte: We feel both happy and honored to be considered by the jury for the award in the ‘Port’ category of the 2019 GREEN4SEA Awards. The Port of Helsinki has been very active in sustainable development initiatives and projects in the last few years, and it is great to hear that hard work is being recognized. Awards of this kind play a vital role in promoting all the great things that are being done by passionate people, all around the globe.
S4S: What are currently your top 3 priorities in relation to Sustainable Shipping?
A.S: Port of Helsinki currently focuses heavily on Sustainable Development, as SD has been designated a key project in our new strategy. The first projects out of the gate are:
– Building our Carbon Neutral 2035 program
– Bringing responsibility and sustainability metrics into all our internal and external reporting during 2019
– Focusing even further on minimizing local impact to the environment, by increased incentives for noise abatement investments, energy efficiency investments as well as other innovations that are beneficial for the environment.
S4S: Do you have any new projects on the pipeline and/or plans that you would like to share with the rest of the industry?
A.S: The biggest project we have ongoing at the moment is the construction of our Carbon Neutrality 2035 program. Through the program we both hope and believe we will be able to provoke even faster improvement, both internal and external.
S4S: If you could change one thing about the shipping industry, what would it be and why?
A.S: It is maybe not just a challenge in the shipping industry, but I would like challenge the somewhat typical mindset that environmentally friendly solutions always have to be made at the expense of cost efficiency. In many cases a win-win situation can be achieved where energy savings benefit both the environment and the income statement.
S4S: What is your key message to the industry for a more sustainable future of shipping?
A.S: The IMO’s 2050 GHG goals are achievable for sure. Seamless cooperation is however needed between all the stakeholders to make this happen. Cooperation is the only way to improve current transport systems quickly in for example making new technologies feasible options. People are naturally also going to be playing a huge role for the future of shipping. Leadership, management and organizational structures in the industry are all going to have to be rethought, if significant progress is going to be made.
You may cast your vote for Port of Helsinki at 2019 GREEN4SEA Awards dedicated webpage till 22nd of February 2019!
The views presented hereabove are only those of the author and not necessarily those of SAFETY4SEA and are for information sharing and discussion purposes only.
