In a world-first, Ports Australia has published the Port Sustainability Strategy Development Guide to provide Australian ports with a systematic and robust approach to sustainability.
The approach has been industry applied throughout Australia and New Zealand, but equally has the potential to be adapted through ports across the world.
The Guide follows on from Ports Australia’s 2019 Ports and a Sustainable Australia, which went hand in hand with a Sustainability Hub, both projects showcasing the work Australian ports are already doing for the sustainability of their business and surrounding communities and environments.
The Sustainability Strategy Development Guide was produced with the help of Ports Australia’s Sustainability Working Group, as well as Sprott Planning and Environment.
Ports Australia Chair of the Sustainability Working Group, Simona Trimarchi, said, “Given the nature of what ports do and the incredible amount of value we provide to regional and national economies and the natural environments and communities in which we operate, sustainability planning is critical.
“The guide is different in that it is a how-to on sustainability, it gets into the detail of how to start looking at sustainability for your business, how to define sustainability, and then how to develop a logical and structured plan on how to advance it over time.
“It also includes the ethos of sustainability principles, how to make actions practical and results tangible, as well as looking at the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and how to factor what they mean into your specific port business’ sustainability strategy so that it has an ultimately holistic approach.”
Ports Australia CEO, Mike Gallacher reiterated the association’s belief in sustainable practice and how it should be positioned at the core of business, community and environmental practice.
“I’ve repeated time again that ports are not just trade gateways, they’re community members operating along Australian coastlines which aren’t just beautiful locations, but socially and ecologically important environments,” Mr Gallacher said.
“We recognised that sustainability, just like the ports sector, is unique.
“There is no one size that fits all, which is why this Guide had to be made adaptable to suit any port wanting to future-proof their business.”
The guide can be downloaded here.
