NSW Ports Introduces Australia’s First Environmental Incentive For Shipping Lines

NSW Ports will introduce an environmental incentive to apply to vessel related charges levied by NSW Ports at Port Botany and Port Kembla. NSW Ports is the first Australian port organisation to introduce such an incentive.

NSW Ports is implementing this important initiative to reward higher standards of environmental performance in our ports. NSW Ports will develop the details of this program in consultation with relevant shipping lines, and is targeting a 1 January 2019 implementation.

Image Credits: nswports.com.au

The incentive is consistent with international approaches. Similar incentives exist at 53 ports globally, including the Port of Rotterdam, Netherlands; the Port of Los Angeles, USA; and the Port of New York and New Jersey, USA.

NSW Ports CEO Marika Calfas said, “NSW Ports has introduced the incentive to reward companies that use vessels with better air emissions performance.

“We are passionate about environmental issues and wanted to take a lead in Australia to help encourage change through an incentive to encourage shipping lines to improve their emissions.

“The environmental incentive will be applied to vessels that perform better in reducing their emissions than the levels required by current emission standards of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO).

“The incentive takes the form of a discount on vessel related charges levied by NSW Ports on vessels that call at our ports of Port Botany and Port Kembla.

“The introduction of this environmental incentive is aligned with Australia’s commitment towards international climate change initiatives.”

The incentives apply to vessels registered with the Environmental Ship Index (ESI).

The ESI is a scoring system that gives a numerical representation of the environmental performance of seagoing ships regarding air pollutants. It only includes ships that perform over and above current IMO international legislation on emission standards.

The ESI is a project within the World Ports Sustainability Program. ESI evaluates the amount of nitrogen oxide and sulphur oxide that is emitted by a ship and includes a reporting scheme on the greenhouse gas emissions of the ship.

Port Botany is Australia’s premier container port and has two bulk liquid berths. Port Kembla is Australia largest vehicle importer and a major exporter of coal and grain. NSW Ports’ facilities handle a major part of the trade coming into and out of the state of NSW, as well as the Sydney and Illawarra local areas.

Press Release: nswports.com.au

Source: Maritime Shipping News