The Gothenburg Port Authority Sustainability Report for 2017 – Sustainable Port – has now been published, the company said in its press release. Despite the labour disputes that have led to a fall in container volumes and affected the number of direct calls, a great deal of positive news has emerged during the past year. The Gothenburg Port Authority has worked solidly to secure a decision regarding the much-needed deepening of the fairways; the new logistics park beside the port has acquired a growing number of tenants; and several new terminals are taking shape.
This is the sixth year in succession that the Gothenburg Port Authority has published a sustainability report. And it is the third year the report has been produced in accordance with the Global Reporting Initiative G4 Guidelines. The guidelines are a set of international standards designed to make it easier to compare sustainability developments at the port with those of other organisations. Last year, the report specifically incorporated the UN’s global sustainable development goals.
This year, Sustainable Port was supplemented for the first time with what are considered to be the most prominent risks in different areas, and a new value chain has been produced. The value chain not only clarifies the areas in which the Gothenburg Port Authority works, but also the import and export flows between these areas. The Gothenburg Port Authority is the only organisation that is involved at every stage, and it is responsible for ensuring that the entire value chain continues to operate as efficiently as possible.
The dispute at the Container Terminal has naturally affected industry flows, with a subsequent downturn in container volumes. On the plus side, record-breaking figures have been reported for cars, ro-ro units and energy products. There was a greater focus on new maritime fuels during 2017, and port tariffs were frozen for the fourth year in succession, the aim being to make life easier for everyone who uses the port.
The Gothenburg Port Authority continued its work during the year on compensatory environmental initiatives. Part of this drive includes the creation of what are termed ‘newt hotels’ – special hibernation habitats for the protected crested newt. These hibernation habitats also benefit other batrachians.