#PortAward2014 - The ports of Huelva, Koper, Lisbon, Marseille and Rotterdam have been shortlisted for the sixth European Sea Port Organisation (ESPO) Award on Societal Integration of Ports.
The jury yesterday selected these five applications from a total of twenty submissions. The theme of this year's competition as previously reported is 'Innovative environmental projects'.
Reducing the environmental impact of port operations and improving local environmental conditions for the people working and living around the port are key success factors for the societal integration of ports.
In fact, ports grant and maintain their license to operate and to grow from their local communities. Therefore, through the award, ESPO hopes to identify and promote innovative projects set up by ports that address the typical port-city concerns in the environmental field such as local air pollution, water pollution, noise, dust and odours.
"It has been very difficult to select five shortlisted projects. The five shortlisted ports prove to be concerned about the way they interact with their neighbours. These ports clearly demonstrate they respect the people who live close to them and carry responsibility towards the environment they work in," said jury chairman Dirk Sterckx.
The winner of the sixth ESPO Award will be announced during the Award Ceremony and Port Night taking place on 4 November in Brussels. The shortlisted projects will be presented on the ESPO website in the running up to this event.
The ESPO Award was established in 2009 to promote innovative projects of port authorities that improve societal integration of ports, especially with the city or wider community in which they are located.
In this way, the Award wants to stimulate the sustainable development of European ports and their cities.
