What you can expect at the 21st GreenPort Congress
The confirmed conference programme at Portsmouth International Port is firmly focused on the developments currently on the mind of the port community.
It will include expert contributions and discussions around:
ESPO’s annual environmental report. This indicates climate change consistently ranks as the number one environmental priority for European ports, followed by air quality and energy efficiency. Both ESPO Secretary General Isabelle Ryckbost – in a Keynote opening speech – and Tim Verhoeven, a senior ESPO policy advisor on Sustainable Development, will have insights to offer.
Water quality. This has consistently ranked in ESPO’s top 10 environmental priorities for European ports, and two developments make it timely for this year’s conference: EU institutions provisionally agreed in September 2025 to weaken the Water Framework Directive, with exemptions permitting temporary water-quality degradation during dredging and sediment relocation; and the IMO’s mandatory D-2 ballast water discharge standard is creating compliance disputes where ‘challenging water quality’ conditions prevent treatment systems from hitting required thresholds. Water is a particular focus at Greenport this year.
Meeting shore power mandates. Grid capacity plus high retrofit costs remain the core blockers to meeting EU mandates seeking onshore power supply (OPS) at TEN-T core ports from 2030, extending to any EU port from 2035. As of mid-2025 only 20% of the OPS connections Europe needs were installed or contracted.
Energy infrastructure and grid readiness. Electrifying harbours depends on national energy systems and grid capacity that often aren’t ready or sufficient — a theme the congress addresses directly via its Session on Energy, electrification & net zero delivery in ports.
Balancing decarbonisation with competitiveness. Ports face rising pressure to decarbonise while maintaining operational efficiency and global competitiveness, with smaller ports in particular lack the resources for large-scale change. GreenPort will deliver practical, replicable playbooks.
Finally, all delegates can take the opportunity to progress their professional development in a stimulating and informative environment.
