The Port of Dover has announced three targets aimed at being ahead in the de-carbonisation of the UK ports industry.
The first two targets aim for net zero, as follows:
- To be carbon net zero by 2025 (Scope 1&2 – direct emissions from operations and indirect emissions from purchased energy).
- To be carbon net zero by 2030 (Scope 1 & 2 and defined Scope 3 – all other emissions associated with activity).
Handling £144 bill of trade, the UK Port of Dover plays host to nearly 60% of all ferry journeys between the UK and Europe, handling around one-third of all the HGVs using major UK seaports.
Dover is also a leading UK cruise and cargo port, and has reduced its carbon footprint by a 85% since 2007.
Port of Dover CEO, Doug Bannister, said: ”Dover is located at a critical intersection where global trade routes meet the primary
gateway between the UK and its main trading partner, the EU.
Having the fastest transit times and the most frequent services situated next to the world’s busiest shipping lane, we already lead the way in how much activity takes place here.
“We can and must, therefore, also lead the way by delivering a profound improvement in the overall carbon footprint of UK supply chains, which we can do much faster because of our geographic advantage,” he said.
The Port’s third target is to become the world’s first (high-volume) Green Shipping Corridor. Market research showed that trade through the Port of Dover is set to grow in the years ahead, and so Dover’s commitment will also help deliver on the Government’s ambition for clean maritime growth, as part of the UK’s Department for Transport’s flagship Maritime 2050 strategy, the Clean Maritime Plan and the Clydebank Declaration announced in Glasgow at COP26.
The targets were unveiled during a visit to the Port by UK Maritime Minister, Robert Courts, who said: “I welcome the Port of Dover’s commitment to champion the crucial journey to
De-carbonisation. The challenging targets demonstrate the leading role Dover wishes to take in delivering our Clean Maritime Plan and ensuring Britain remains at the
forefront of the maritime industry in tackling this global issue.”
The targets will be pursued through a combination of activities; for example, the sourcing of alternative fuels, utilisation of renewable energy sources, port electrification, offsetting and minimising carbon emissions in procurement and
development projects, and through partnership working with stakeholders including the community, supply chains, sister ports and customers, the port said.
