Nearly 1,000 ports and port-related companies have committed themselves to achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by the United Nations.
At a meeting in Antwerp, the companies agreed to focus on five practical areas, including developing robust infrastructure, ready to face the challenges of the future; climate and energy, with the emphasis on initiatives that contribute to achieving the objectives of the Paris climate agreement; societal integration, by improving relations between ports and cities; safety and security, including cyber-security; and rolling out transparent, ethical policies and management.
“Ports all over the world are aiming for a future built around sustainable economic models,” declared Jacques Vandermeiren, CEO of Antwerp Port Authority and the host and keynote speaker at the event held under the auspices of the World Ports Sustainability Program (WPSP).
“This transition process includes the elements that will help us to respond not only to the global but also the local challenges currently facing us, such as climate change, mobility, digitalisation, migration and societal integration,' Vandermeiren added.
