Port of Rotterdam Authority Steps Up Own Carbon Emissions Cuts

The Port of Rotterdam Authority is going to accelerate the reduction of its own carbon emission. Most of the CO2 of the Port Authority is emitted by the patrol vessels &d by the use of cars and buildings. It concerns 4,000 tonnes per year in total. The Port Authority’s own carbon emissions should be 75% lower in 2025 and 90% lower in 2030 than in 2019. Eventually, the Port Authority wants its operations to be entirely emission-free.In the past year, the Port Authority used so-called science-based targeting to calculate the emission reduction amount required to pull its weight to keep global warming below the 1.5 degrees celcius limit. Science-based targeting is a way of translating the Paris Climate Agreement per company into specific targets. With this method, the Port Authority should achieve a reduction of at least 46.2% by 2030 (in comparison with 2019). As this seems to be technically feasible, however, the Port Authority opts for accelerated reduction of its own emissions by 90% in 2030. To this end, the Port Authority will ensure that all its vessels will switch completely to biofuel in the short term, and it has the ambition that from 2025 new vessels will be emission-free.The Port Authority also wants to realise lower carbon emissions in other areas. Emission caused by its employees’ air travel is to be reduced by 70% in 2025 and by 80% in 2030, as a result of flying less and participation in a biokerosene programme. Reduction objectives have been formulated for assignments awarded to contractors of the Port Authority as well. In this case, it is about a 45% reduction by 2030 with the use of fuels (especially dredging and earthmoving) and 20% for (construction) materials. Huge amounts of steel are used in the construction of quay walls, for example. Since its production provisionally involves high carbon emissions, 20% in 2030 seems to be the maximum feasible level.

Port of Rotterdam Authority Steps Up Own Carbon Emissions Cuts

Strategic Research Institute

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