First Japanese port joins Green Award scheme

The port works with a port authority to improve its environmental footprint and safety in and around the port, so much so that it was recently chosen by OECD as a model for its Green City Programme.

Pieter Struijs, chairman, Green Award, said: “These ports show their commitment to the highest safety and quality practices and try to attract quality shipping through rewarding Green Award vessels with incentives. Corporate Social Responsibility is not mere empty words for Green Award ports.”

“We hope that our participation will not only lead to the spreading of the programme throughout the ports in Japan, but also to those in other Asian nations. We do hope that the marine environment will consequently be protected even further on a global scale,” added Kenji Kitahashi, the city’s mayor.

The Green Award Foundation says this latest addition marks a major milestone in its programme as ports in Asia – a growing shipping market and major importers of LNG – play a vital role in environmental and safety awareness in the region.