The Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) has announced it is prioritising its ‘Green Port’ initiatives as it moves toward more sustainable operations, following a series of successfully implemented measures over the last five years.
The move also complements the initiatives being undertaken by PPA’s international partners such as shipping lines to reduce greenhouse gases (GHG) emitted by ships as well as port equipment to a more manageable level.
“We are now shifting our focus towards sustainable port operations to reduce our carbon footprint similar to the initiatives being undertaken by our foreign counterparts,” said Jay Daniel R. Santiago, General Manager of the PPA.
“Since 2016, we have continuously laid down the groundworks and implemented various measures for these ‘Green Port’ initiatives, and now is the time to take more advanced steps towards mitigating climate change.
“With the continued guidance of the Department of Transportation Secretary Art Tugade, more environment-friendly PPA ports will be seen soon.”
Under the port authority, the Cagayan de Oro Port (CDO) and Batangas Port have received multiple citations from the Green Ports Award System (GPAS) from Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), leading the sustainability efforts.
“We want to duplicate the initiatives of our CDO and Batangas Port with the remaining ports under our network,” continued Santiago. “To do this, we activated a team specifically tasked to guarantee compliance to this APEC GPAS scheme.”
Previously, the Philippine Ports Authority has warned importers and exporters in the country to make “necessary operational adjustments” to limit the impact of upcoming delays caused by the latest outbreak of COVID-19 in China and the subsequent closure of the Port of Ningbo-Zhoushan.
Announced in August 2021, the port authority said early preparation is key to reducing the negative impact of delays in daily operations and will allow for greater flexibility.