Green Marine Europe program reports two-fold increase in participants

Green Marine Europe (GME), the European environmental certification program dedicated to the maritime industry, revealed that the number of program participants more than doubled in just two years.

Adapted by Surfrider Foundation Europe from the North American Green Marine certification program, Green Marine Europe now has 66 members across 10 European countries: the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Belgium, Spain, Luxembourg, Monaco, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Sweden.

With continued growth, this membership includes 31 participants (shipowners and shipyards), 18 supporters (scientific research institutes, environmental organizations, and government agencies), 8 associations representing the maritime industry, and 9 partners (suppliers of products, services, equipment, and new maritime technologies), Green Marine said in its 5th annual performance report.

Shipyards certified for the first time

In just two years, the number of participants in Green Marine Europe’s environmental certification program has doubled, growing from 15 to 31. Twenty-eight of the 31 participants are certified for 2023, with three participants either not yet operational or having joined the program mid-year. These participants will undergo the self-evaluation and external verification process next year.

In 2023, three new shipyards participated in the program. During this inaugural year, these shipyards embraced the program and gained a clearer understanding of the measures required to reduce their environmental impact.

Green Marine Europe is also collaborating on the CirclesOfLife project, launched in January 2024 and funded by the European Union (EU) under the Horizon Europe program from 2024 to 2026. This project aims for sustainable shipbuilding across the EU, bringing together a consortium of 15 shipyards, research institutes, suppliers, NGOs, and other organizations from 6 European countries.

In total, 6 participants have obtained Green Marine Europe certification for the first time: the shipyards S.M.E, Chantier Naval de Marseille, Lisnave Estaleiros Navais S.A., and Navantia S.A., as well as the shipowners SPM Ferries, Compagnie Française de Croisières (CFC), Bordeaux Port, also as a shipowner.

Extending certification to a growing number of European maritime stakeholders, 2024 marks the beginning of a testing phase to extend the program to ports, with the first wave of certifications expected in 2026.

Embracing environmental transition pathway

With an average score of 2.5 on a scale of 1 to 5, the overall annual average has seen a slight drop from 2022 (2.6). This shows that some companies, often newer to environmental transition, have chosen Green Marine Europe as a powerful tool to address this challenge with the thoroughness it requires. It is said to also highlight Green Marine Europe’s commitment to transparency: performance is never prioritized over progress and humility within the program.

The most significant progress among shipowners was made in waste management efforts, with an overall increase of 8 levels.

Green Marine Europe ship owners are stepping up their efforts to reduce air emissions. More than half of them have reached Level 3 or higher for NOx, SOx and PM. In terms of greenhouse gases, nearly 1 ship owner in 3 has done the same (which is more than 30%). This notably means that they have carried out annual inventories; the impact measurement is required at Level 3 to set the reduction targets for Levels 4 and 5.

The launch of Green Marine International

Green Marine International was launched in the spring of 2024, bringing together Green Marine Europe and the Green Marine Alliance into a single organization under a coherent brand.

The goal is to reflect the growing global momentum of the environmental certification program while strengthening its governance.

All participants of Green Marine Europe and the Green Marine Alliance are now members of Green Marine International, with their respective certification requirements remaining unchanged.

“I am very proud of Surfrider Foundation Europe’s leadership in establishing Green Marine Europe in collaboration with the Green Marine Alliance and the European maritime industry over the past few years. I am confident that Green Marine International will provide a governance framework that ensures the two pillars of GME—continuous improvement and stakeholder engagement— are upheld as the number of certified participants continues to grow,” Florent Marcoux, Executive Director of Surfrider Foundation Europe, commented.

“This new governance marks a true turning point in the history of Green Marine, a certification program that began in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence region 17 years ago,” David Bolduc, President and CEO of Green Marine International, added.

“To address its environmental challenges, the maritime transport sector must continue and intensify its efforts. Beyond the technologies and innovations currently being deployed, it is primarily about quickly implementing strategic investment plans to reduce various impacts such as carbon emissions, waste, and noise. In light of the environmental challenges facing maritime transport, it is urgent to take action now by investing in or launching strategic plans to reduce these diverse impacts, including carbon emissions, waste, and noise,” Antidia Citores, Project Manager of Green Marine Europe, pointed out.