EcoPorts is the main environmental initiative of the European port sector.
EcoPorts is the main environmental initiative of the European port sector. It was initiated by a number of proactive ports in 1997 and has been fully integrated into the European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO) since 2011.
The overarching principle of EcoPorts is to raise awareness on environmental protection through cooperation and sharing of knowledge between ports and improve environmental management. The UK has 15 EcoPorts as of 2019, part of a European network of 116 ports.
The British Ports Association was instrumental in establishing the scheme alongside some of Europe’s largest port authorities. The scheme arose from environmental information sharing projects between the BPA and European Ports in the 1990s and was established in 1997.