Recognising innovative environmental projects
This year, the ESPO Award on Societal Integration of Ports is entering its sixth edition. For the 2014 competition, the theme Innovative environmental projects’ was chosen. The call for proposals is open until 1 July 2014.
The ESPO Award 2014 will be addressing innovative port projects that lead to environmental improvement for the benefit of the wider port and local community.
Reducing the environmental impact of port operations and improving the local environmental conditions for the people working and living around the port are key success factors for the societal integration of ports. In fact, ports grant and maintain their license to operate and to grow from their local communities.
Therefore, through the award, ESPO hopes to identify and promote innovative projects set up by ports that address the typical port-city concerns in the environmental field such as local air pollution, water pollution, noise, dust, odours…
The newly appointed Chairman of this year’s Award Jury, Dirk Sterckx, former Member of the European Parliament, says: “If there is one theme that can enhance but at the same time also harm the good relations with the local community, it is certainly environmental concerns . I am sure there are different interesting port projects in the field. I hope they all come on our jury table. Of course there is only one winner. But having followed the previous editions, it is interesting to see that all projects submitted, attract a lot of attention, when competing for this award.“
The ESPO Award on Societal Integration of Ports was established in 2009 to promote innovative projects of port authorities that improve societal integration of ports, especially with the city or wider community in which they are located. In this way, the Award wants to stimulate the sustainable development of European ports and their cities. The previous winners were: the Port of Gijón (2009), the Port of Helsinki (2010), the Ports of Stockholm (2011), the Port of Genoa (2012) and the Port of Antwerp (2013).
The call for proposals is open. Project submissions must be received by the ESPO secretariat by 1 July at the latest. The sixth ESPO Award will be officially handed out during an Award Ceremony and Port Night, which will take place on 4 November in Brussels.
Source: ESPO
