Port of Barcelona boosts their environmental commitments: concessionary companies encouraged to adopt EMAS over the next 5 years

The Port of Barcelona gives a boost to the environmental quality in the harbour enclave: all licensed companies will upgrade to EMAS over the next 5 years. The approach serves as a best practice example of how to promote environmental management systems successfully and in a collaborative manner.

The Journey of the Port of Barcelona to EMAS

The Port Authority of Barcelona (PAB) is responsible for the administration, control, management and operation of the Port of Barcelona. This port enclave occupies a surface area of 1,042 hectares, has 23.5 km of quays and berths and handles an annual traffic of 64 million tonnes. 

The Port of Barcelona operates under the "Landlord Port" model, which means that it provides space and infrastructures, regulating all the operations, activities and services that take place within it and which are carried out by private companies that have surface occupation concessions or have licences or contracts to provide services and activities.

The PAB has had an environmental management system in place covering all cargo handling activities in the port area since 2014, which has been EMAS-registered since the same year.

In terms of environmental management, the impacts of port activity are largely due to the activities carried out by cargo handling terminals, ships and other means of transport, and by companies providing services. The PAB's power to influence these activities is indirect and, in some cases, of little relevance.

For this reason, the PAB has designed strategies and initiatives to influence the environmental and sustainable performance of the companies ultimately responsible for many of the impacts of port activity. 

Strategies to improve the environmental performance of the Port Community

One of these strategies is the effort to bring together the Port Community, which encompasses all the companies that operate in the port area, in a visible entity in which more than 15 working groups have been created on different topics of common interest, including the Environment, Maritime Environment and Sustainability. Among these, the Environment Working Group, which was created in 2004, stands out. It is made up of around 30 companies and terminals of the port and its objective is to coordinate and promote the adoption of good environmental practices among port operators. The group organises training sessions, informative meetings and technical visits to keep the companies up to date on environmental regulations, emerging issues and best practices.

Since 2016, the Port has been promoting the Sectoral Sustainability Plan through the Sustainability Working Group, which brings together nearly 80 organisations. Its aim is to respond jointly to the expectations of the Port Community's stakeholders.

Another initiative is the bonus for terminals to encourage best environmental practice initiatives and the bonus for ships if they meet environmental excellence requirements such as the use of clean fuels, the use of batteries during port calls and the possession of certificates relating to good performance systems. 
For some years now, new installations located in the port have been obliged to have an environmental management system certified by the ISO 14000 Standard within a maximum period of one year. This requirement, included in the new surface concession contracts, has resulted in almost all the companies operating in the port having an environmental management system in place.

Upgrading all environmental management systems to EMAS in 2025

From 2025, this requirement will be increased and new installations will have to have their environmental management system upgraded to EMAS within less than one year after the start of the activity. This measure will be implemented by integrating a new clause in the new concession contracts for public domain space. At present, some 10 port companies and facilities are already EMAS-registered.

Likewise, from 2025, new contracts and contract renewals for the provision of port services (towing, mooring, pilotage and Marpol service) will also be required to be EMAS-registered.

With these measures, it is hoped that in the next 5 years all the companies operating in the Port of Barcelona will obtain EMAS registration.

Thanks to the implementation of EMAS and the promotion of sustainable environmental practices, the Port of Barcelona has consolidated its position as a benchmark model in port environmental management. Its commitment to transparency, collaboration and continuous improvement reinforces its commitment to more sustainable development, in line with the European objectives of energy transition and decarbonisation of port activity.