Nagoya Joins Green Award

The Green Award’s presence in Asia is expanding with the announcement that the Port of Nagoya in Japan will become a Green Award incentive provider from February 1, 2017.

The Green Award foundation was established in 1994. Green Award is a global, independent, non-for-profit quality assurance organization that works by certifying ship managers and vessels that go beyond the industry standards in terms of safety, quality and environmental performance. The scheme is open for sea-going oil and chemical tankers, bulk carriers, LNG and LPG carriers, container carriers and inland navigation barges.

With over 80 incentive providers in North America, Europe, Africa, Middle East and Asia currently participating in the scheme, Green Award aims to motivate shipowners and managers to invest in the improvements on board and ashore and serves as a reliable indicator of the ship’s highest standards and as a corporate social responsibility and risk reduction tool for shipping companies and ports.

The Port of Nagoya is the largest port in Japan in terms of total cargo throughput and a major point of entry to Japan. Nagoya deploys Green Award as a tool to improve the standards in shipping and to identify and reward ships which implement the best practices and maintain high quality standards.

All types of Green Award certified ships are entitled to a 10 percent discount on the port dues effective from February 1, 2017.

At a welcome ceremony held in Nagoya, Green Award’s executive director Jan Fransen presented the Green Award plaque to Takayuki Kondo, Executive Vice President of Nagoya Port Authority. 

“Environmental protection and safe operations, as a responsibility within the maritime industry, can be addressed through a joint approach by ports, maritime related businesses and shipowners and managers,” said Fransen. 

“This will motivate for early and proper implementation of international conventions and beyond by implementing best practices in this industry. Japan, as one of the major maritime players, has a strategically important role in motivating others in Asia to follow the example as set by the Port of Nagoya today and Kitakyushu earlier. Certainly we expect more Japanese interest to set course.”