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Port cities offer a vital — and overlooked — way to help decarbonize the global economy. The maritime sector has been seen as a laggard in decarbonizing, but port cities are perfectly positioned to help catalyze a reduction in shipping emissions. Over half of all maritime emissions come from ships while berthed in ports.
A port can provide clean renewable energy to ships in port — as well as to the city and surrounding industrial clusters — and support vessels can provide clean electricity to ships on the approach to the port.
Port cities can also provide the infrastructure needed to facilitate a switch from fuel oil to liquefied natural gas for ships, apply “green port duties” and fee incentives to speed adoption of clean shipping, invest in hydrogen, biogas and carbon capture and sequestration infrastructure and develop circular and bio-economy infrastructure and activities.
State-of-the-art digital platforms in port cities can help to optimize shipping and port operations, reduce overall emissions and integrate energy systems of port cities and adjacent territory.
The EU Has Recognized the Potential of Ports
The EU Green Deal sets an emissions reduction target of 90% for EU port cities and includes new measures to…
