IAPH agenda in focus at UNCTAD Global Supply Chain Forum

IAPH joined more than 600 participants from all over the globe at the UNCTAD Global Supply Chain Forum 2024 in Barbados from 21-24 May. Technical director Antonis Michail participated in two panel sessions – ‘Leading the way to sustainable ports through energy transition’ and ‘Efficient and competitive port management’ – and co-facilitated a Port Endeavor training session for the participants. On 22 May, Antonis outlined the IAPH’s initiatives aimed at decarbonizing shipping, including incentivizing cleaner vessels through the Environmental Ship Index, establishing safety frameworks and toolkits for new fuels under the Clean Marine Fuels working group, and jointly developing the Port Readiness Level assessment tool together with the World Ports Climate Action Program. On the same panel, commissioner Sam Cho, from IAPH member Port of Seattle, shared his port’s approach to decarbonisation and its role as an aggregator of demand for alternative fuels, as well as discussing international collaboration on green corridors. The Port Endeavor training session that followed, in the presence of IMO secretary-general, Arsenio Dominguez, reconfirmed the success of the business game in creating lively debates centred around the application of the UN SDGs in real port-management decisions. On 23 May, Antonis made the link between port sustainability and efficient and competitive port management, while presenting the World Ports Sustainability Program and the main IAPH initiatives on Risk and Resilience. Antonis was joined in the panel by high-level port representatives, including IAPH vice president for South East Asia and Oceania, Eranda Kotelawala, who discussed with the participants the success factors and challenges of efficient and competitive port management.