Port of Newcastle has become the first port in Australia or New Zealand to commit to meeting global environmental and sustainability standards as set by EcoPorts. The port was this month granted membership of the International EcoPorts network, having completed assessments to benchmark its environmental and sustainability practices against 120 major ports across Europe, Asia, North America and South America.
Developed in 1997, EcoPorts remains the only Environmental Management Standard (EMS) specific to the global port sector.
According to Jackie Spiteri, port’s environmental adviser, stated that the organisation had opted to be a pioneer in the region.
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The ports addition to the EcoProject comes as the former has reassured of its plans to expand automation and electrification in an effort to maintain efficiency, reduce emissions and limit its environmental impact.
Additionally, the port’s $33 million Newcastle Bulk Terminal upgrade is an example of the port being committed to safety and environmental practises.
The port is also continuing to reduce fuel, power and water consumption across its operations in order to reduce its environmental impact.
In conclusion, Port of Newcastle is now working towards achieving certification under EcoPort’s Port Environmental Review System, which is independently tested against best practice management by Lloyds Register and is the only system of its type in the world.
