Ports are vital to international and countries’ employment and economic growth. United States ports account for roughly 10% of the country’s GDP, while the port activities in the Eurozone represent approximately 16% of the profits of the entire EU Blue Economy.

The partnership includes a three-year project starting in March 2025, aimed at securing commitments from major global ports and sharing verifiable strategies that benefit people and nature.​ In parallel, efforts will raise awareness about building new ports in emerging markets,​ to ensure new investments incorporate nature-positive criteria.

“Ports play a significant role in driving growth for emerging economies. As demand for port infrastructure increases, we need innovative practices and engineering methods to secure a safer, cleaner, and more sustainable sector,” said Alfredo Giron, Head of Ocean, World Economic Forum, “To do this it’s essential that the nature-positive transition for ports also provides benefits for people.

“We need to ensure the ports we adapt and create don’t just deliver against economic and social targets, but actively protect, restore and enhance nature,” said Thomas Thune Andersen, Chairman, Lloyd’s Register Foundation. “Our new long term, strategic partnership with the World Economic Forum will couple better practices for nature with safer operations around ports, leading to improved working conditions, healthier ecosystems and access to new capital for nature and people positive approaches.”

In addition to providing critical infrastructure for regional and global trade, ports also accommodate some of the world’s largest industrial zones, thus some of the heaviest CO2 emitters. To achieve global nature and climate targets such as the Global Biodiversity Framework and the Paris Agreement goals, it is essential to foster collaboration for nature-positive and scale the development of clean energy solutions for transport and industry in port areas, while balancing energy security and ensuring a fair transition.

“Addressing the current and projected environmental impact of ports and industrial areas in the context of the energy transition is imperative,” said Jörgen Sandström, Head, Transforming Industrial Ecosystems, World Economic Forum. “By fostering collaboration and unlocking innovation, we aim to ensure a fair transition and reduce CO2e emissions, drive economic growth and preserve natural ecosystems.”

The transformations needed in port-based industrial zones for clean energy solutions present an opportunity for a holistic regeneration strategy. Sensitive planning methods for the land and sea use in port areas can minimize negative impacts on coastal and marine ecosystems, benefiting both the natural ecosystem and local community.

Implementing nature-positive strategies can bring business opportunities for ports around the world. The World Economic Forum’s report on Nature-Positive: The Role of Ports found that prioritizing nature-positive strategies – including decarbonization – could unlock over $54 billion in cost savings and revenue by 2030 for businesses operating across the port sector’s value chain.