GREENPORT Alliances

GREENPORT targets an overlooked sub-sector within the Green Deal’s strategy to decarbonise the maritime industry: that of in-port services. Vessels such as tug boats and pilot boats, and personnel such as harbour masters, carry out an important role of ensuring the safety of port assets and vessels whilst in port. However, because of these service vessels’ small size, and because larger vessels pollute much more, in-port operations have not been included in the EU’s emission reduction targets.The lack of enforced targets does not mean the sector is not polluting. Moreover, greener technology, whilst in development, is not yet ready for large scale commercial use. Nonetheless, the actors within the sector themselves show a willingness to reduce emissions.GREENPORT posits that a change in human behaviour can reduce the environmental impact of in-port services in the short- to medium-term. Modifications can be made to day-to-day operations, with better use of existing digital technologies, that would contribute to a significant drop in emissions. To achieve this, we require re/training and education for current/future personnel.GREENPORT thus brings together 10 organisations from 8 countries in education, research, and industry to: -Pool knowledge and resources to conduct a needs identification, data collection and analysis exercise;-Use this information to develop curricula along 3 modular learning lines. GREENPORT will target (i) HEI students (future personnel) through integration of developed material into existing HEI programmes; (ii) working professionals via a short accredited vocational course; and (iii) the educators and trainers of both streams through an eLearning train-the-trianer course;-Pilot all 3 learning streams;-Implement a comprehensive evaluation exercise to assess its effectiveness; -Implement wide-ranging dissemination and sustainability strategies to promote the GREENPORT framework within the sector for maximal uptake.