The Port of London is set to become the first UK port to recognise ship owners committed to progressively improving their environmental performance, as part of a wider approach to reduce the port’s environmental impact.
The Port of London Authority (PLA) is set to introduce a discount on port charges for vessels with lower emissions that meet an Environmental Shipping Index (ESI) score of 30, or above. The ESI, developed by the World Ports Climate Initiative (WPCI), ranks ships’ environmental performance based on factors including emissions of nitrogen oxide, sulphur oxide, and carbon dioxide. It gives a ready reckoner rating for ships that perform better in reducing emissions than the current International Maritime Organisation emission standards.
Developed over the last 18 months, the Thames Vision sets out a plan for the river’s development over the next 20 years. It identifies potential for increased river use, alongside progressively improved environmental and habitat conditions.
The Port of London is the country’s second biggest port, with 70 terminals, handling supplies of life’s essential: food, drinks, consumer goods, fuels, grain, cars, steel, building materials and more. More than 10,000 large commercial ships call on the Thames every year, carrying in excess of 45 million tonnes of cargo destined for consumers and manufacturers in the south east and across the UK.