The Port Authority of Valencia has once again obtained the PERS certification awarded by the European Sea Ports Organisation
The Port Authority of Valencia has renewed the Port Environmental Review System certification awarded by the European Sea Ports Organisation . PERS is a specific environmental standard for the port sector that Valenciaport has obtained for the seventh time. This seal reinforces and values the good practices in environmental sustainability of the professional team of Valenciaport and the management of the measures that have been implemented in collaboration with the port community.
Isabelle Ryckbost, Secretary General of ESPO, congratulated the Valencian site and the Spanish ports who “demonstrate their commitment to environmental performance, the monitoring of objectives and transparency”. Valter Selén, ESPO’s Senior Policy Advisor and EcoPorts coordinator, has pronounced along the same lines, “the PERS certification of the Port of Valencia demonstrates that the Spanish ports have a common commitment to environmental sustainability and continuous improvement through the EcoPorts Network. We are delighted to continue working with Valenciaport in the joint effort of decarbonisation in the European port system”.
For the president of the PAV, Aurelio Martínez, “the fight against climate change and the reduction of CO2 emissions, and other polluting particles, is an inalienable priority. In this context, we are working to make the reduction of the impact of port activities on the environment compatible with commercial growth. And this commitment is materialised with specific projects to achieve the Valenciaport 2030 objective of zero emissions, two decades ahead of the objectives projected by international organisations for 2050”.
Having the PERS certificate accredits the transparency of the ports in environmental matters, and implies constant monitoring of all these components as a policy of continuous improvement in this area. EcoPorts is an environmental initiative of the European port sector created in 1997 for cooperation and exchange of knowledge on sustainability between port sites. At present, 104 ports in 25 countries are part of this network, of which 31 have the PERS label.
EcoPorts’ compliance with the PERS standard is independently assessed by Lloyd’s Register, a global professional services company specialising in engineering and technology for the maritime industry. The certificate is valid for two years and is reviewed after this period to ensure that the port continues to meet the requirements.
Growth and sustainability
The actions and investments planned by the PAV have been developed for many years now under the guideline shared by the port community of Valencia of making growth and sustainability compatible. In fact, Valenciaport has set up its own programme, also called Ecoport, to which the port companies adhere, where environmental objectives are set. These actions range from the implementation of efficient environmental and energy management systems in port facilities and the reporting of their results to society, to the calculation of success indicators of these implementations, such as the calculation of the carbon footprint.
Valenciaport has its environmental management system registered with the Community Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS), regulated by EC Regulation 1221/2009, of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 November 2009; and has also implemented an energy management system based on the ISO 50001 standard in its installations, and has calculated the carbon footprint of the port of Valencia, with a 30% decrease in the period 2008-2019. It should be noted that the APV was the first Port Authority to register the carbon footprint of a port facility in the register of carbon footprint, compensation and CO2 absorption projects created by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment, obtaining the “calculation” seal.
