With this recognition, the PAB takes a further step towards making the port of Bilbao a Green Port.
The port of Bilbao has become a member of the EcoPorts network, the main environmental initiative of the European port sector. The network has 121 members and is fully integrated into the European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO).
To achieve this, the Port Authority has successfully completed the SDM (Self Diagnosis Method), a questionnaire on various port-related issues.
This initiative builds on a series of other activities taken by the Port Authority to turn Bilbao into a Green Port and an environmental benchmark. In this sense, 27 of the projects undertaken by the port fall within at least six sustainable development goals, in line with the objectives of the 2030 Agenda; it has renewed its EMAS certification for the sixth consecutive year; it has became the first port in the world to be awarded an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD), an analysis of the environmental impact of port activities; and it has replaced the port’s 1,300 outdoor lights with LED technology, thereby delivering a 50% energy saving compared to the previous lighting arrangement. These and other improvements have enabled the port to reduce its CO₂ emissions by 66% over the period 2017-20.
At the same time, the port has developed a balanced scorecard for real-time environmental monitoring, with indicators on real-time air quality (and data from the last 7 days), meteorology and oceanography.
Furthermore, another milestone has been set this year: the drawing up of an energy transition plan, scheduled for completion early next year.