Eight Ports Received PERS Certification at the ESPO Conference Regatta

During the ESPO Conference Regatta 2021, eight ports received their Port Environmental Review System (PERS) certificates during a special ceremony. ESPO congratulates all the certified ports on their exceptional achievement.

During the ceremony, North Sea Port (NL/BE) and the Port of Oslo received their first PERS-certificates. North Sea Port joined EcoPorts in 2018 and is the first cross-border port to become PERS-certified, highlighting the potential of transnational ports to excel in environmental management in Europe. The Port of Oslo (NO) showed incredible dedication by achieving their PERS within one year of joining the EcoPorts Network.

Out of the six ports becoming re-certified, the Shoreham Port (UK) is a role model for building port-city relationships. The Port received its fifth PERS certification during the PERS ceremony, having joined EcoPorts in 2011. Shannon Foynes Port Company (IE) joined EcoPorts the same year. As the only PERS-certified Irish port, it received its fourth PERS certification this year, and is committed to promoting offshore renewables, biomass use, waste to energy and recycling.

The Port of Huelva (ES) continues monitoring key environmental challenges and improving its environmental management as part of its third PERS recertification since 2016. The Port of Pori (FI) is the only Finnish PERS-certified port, joining EcoPorts in 2018. As a frontrunner in environmental management, Pori becomes the first port in Finland to become re-certified with PERS. The Port of Volos (EL) has been a long-standing EcoPorts member since 2012 and is recommitting to PERS, becoming re-certified after some time without a certificate in place. As a non-EU port, Asyaport (TR) achieved a PERS certification, having joined EcoPorts in 2015.

ESPO Secretary General Isabelle Ryckbost commented: “The success of the EcoPorts Network shows that European ports are taking issues of environmental management and sustainability seriously. With over a fourth of all EcoPorts members certified, the Network covers a wide variety of different ports, making it an increasingly representative and useful forum for its members and other ports around Europe. The work will continue together with these PERS-certified ports and the other members of EcoPorts to encourage greening in European ports.”

ESPO EcoPorts Coordinator Valter Selén said: “We are very pleased to congratulate these eight ports on their achievement. The EcoPorts network is going from strength to strength, with new members getting certified and long-standing members choosing to get re-certified with EcoPorts PERS. The EcoPorts Network now have a total of 30 PERS-certified ports from various parts of Europe – North and South, East and West, and we hope to have more ports join this growing initiative.”