Ports America targets Green Marine certification for its ops

Ports America, North America’s largest marine terminal operator, has revealed plans to enrol its terminals as participants of Green Marine, a voluntary environmental certification program for the maritime industry.

As a part of the plan, the Baltimore terminal has become the first of the company’s terminals to join Green Marine with others to follow.

As disclosed, Ports America intends to list other terminal locations as Green Marine participants over the next few years, starting with its East Coast operations, the Gulf and then West Coast terminals.

David Bolduc, Green Marine’s executive director, welcomed the terminal operator and said: “Having the largest US terminal operator make use of our program to further build on its sustainability efforts is testimony to our program’s relevance in guiding and challenging the maritime industry to continue to measurably improve its environmental performance beyond regulations”.

The Green Marine environmental certification program addresses a number of environmental priority issues through its 14 performance indicators, including greenhouse gases, air emissions, spill prevention and stormwater management, community relations and impacts, waste management, and underwater noise.

The results of the certification process are independently verified every two years and the individual performance of each participant made public annually.

“We appreciate how Green Marine’s focus is specific to shipping and believe that joining the program is the next step for us to further enhance our environmental performance”, said Mark Montgomery, CEO of Ports America.

Montgomery added that the program aligns with the company’s environmental, social, governance (ESG) engagement and that the third-party verification will reinforce its commitment to sustainability.

Ports America operates in 70 terminals at 33 ports throughout the United States. In September, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPP Investments) entered into a definitive agreement to become the 100% owner of North America’s largest marine terminal operator.

CPP Investments said it would continue to support the business with long-term capital as the company deepens its focus on providing efficient service for all of its shipping lines and beneficial cargo owner customers.

However, the US Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) voiced its concern over the planned acquisition. Two FMC commissioners, Carl W. Bentzel and Louis E. Sola, expressed their stance about the potential investment in a letter to Janet L Yellen, Secretary of the Treasury Department of the Treasury.

Specifically, the commissioners requested the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) exercise its authority and launch a full and thorough review of the national security implications of Ports America’s acquisition.