North Sea Port was presented recently with the PERS certificate by the European Sea Ports Organisation ( ESPO ).
This means that North Sea Port joins a select club of ports entitled to carry the label for sustainable environmental management.
But achieving that quality mark is not an end in itself, they said.
North Sea Port is the first cross-border port and the first Flemish port to be awarded the PERS certificate. This double first crowns the work the port has been doing for years in the field of environmental management.
PERS stands for ‘Port Environmental Review System’. This is a tailored environmental management system for sustainable development in ports. It makes it possible to measure the environmental performance of ports and make adjustments where necessary.
The certification process is conducted by an independent organisation.
Moreover, a port does not receive the label forever: evaluations are held every two years. PERS-certified ports must take action to improve their environmental performance and reduce their emissions.
To this end, North Sea Port is committing itself to the use of biofuels for dredging , among other things.
The certificate is issued under the auspices of the European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO). Under the name ‘EcoPorts’, some 110 members share their knowledge and experience in the realm of environmental management.