The European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO) Award on Social Integration of Ports is entering its 16th edition.

The theme of this year’s edition is “port projects or strategies in the field of circular economy that benefit the city and/or the surrounding community”.

As multimodal hubs in the supply and logistics chain, nodes of energy and clusters of industry, Europe’s ports can play a crucial role in the transition towards more circularity. Their location in or near urban agglomerations makes ports ideal partners for engaging together with the city and local community in circular economy processes, waste prevention and management and ensuring that resources used are kept in the economy for as long as possible.

The European Commission adopted a circular economy action plan back in March 2020. It is one of the main building blocks of the European Green Deal. The aim is to reduce pressure on natural resources and create sustainable growth and jobs. It is also a prerequisite to achieve the EU’s 2040 target of 90% net GHG emissions reduction, on our way to the 2050 climate neutrality target.

With this award edition, ESPO aims at showcasing the role certain ports are playing in making circularity work for people, regions and cities and inspiring other ports to follow their example.

The ESPO Award 2024 will go to the port managing body which has been developing a circular economy strategy and/or a significant circular economy project engaging the port as such, involving different stakeholders in or around the port and/or playing an active role in setting up a circular economy project with and to the benefit of the surrounding community.

The ESPO award winner 2024 will be the port managing body which is considering circularity at different levels as a priority and integral part of its greening strategy and is aiming at engaging all relevant stakeholders in its circular approach strategy to the benefit of the citizens and the surrounding community.

Project submissions have to reach the ESPO Secretariat by Friday 5 July 2024 at the latest. The application form and the terms of reference are available on the ESPO website.

The 16th ESPO Award will be officially handed out during an Award Ceremony and Dinner, which will take place in November 2024 in Brussels.

The European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO) Award on Social Integration of Ports is entering its 15th edition, with the theme “Nature restoration projects in ports benefitting the local community”.

Since ports are often located in or near different precious natural areas, they strive to integrate the protection of biodiversity in all port operations, making it part of their license to operate.

Over the years, ports in Europe have gained extensive experience with sustainable port operations and development. These sustainability efforts in ports are based on respecting and working with nature and habitat requirements already set out in European and national legislation, whilst striving to go beyond regulatory requirements. 

Already in 1996, ESPO published a comprehensive Code of practice on the application and the Bird and Habitats Directive. The Code was developed in close cooperation with the European Commission, and sets out specific guidelines for how ports can work with the Birds and Habitats Directive. 

On top of their traditional role as hub in the supply chain ensuring connectivity and linking Europe with the rest of the world, Europe’s ports are nowadays playing an increasingly important role as suppliers, producers, storing locations or importers of new renewable energies. Ports are at the service of Europe’s economy and society and an essential partner in the race to a net-zero and sustainable European economy and society. 

Given all these new roles and responsibilities, it is more important than ever for ports to find ways to ensure that port development and activities, in particular those linked to achieving the net-zero goals and related energy policies, go hand in hand with the protection and enhancement of natural areas in and around ports.

The ESPO Award 2023 will go to the port managing body which has developed innovative ways to develop these new roles and combine port development with successfully protecting and restoring nature in and around the port area to the benefit of the citizens and local community. The winning project will be a project which can clearly demonstrate how nature protection and restoration efforts can be successfully combined with port development projects. 

Project submissions have to reach the ESPO Secretariat by Friday 7 July 2023 at the latest. The application form and the terms of reference are available on the ESPO Website.

The 15th ESPO Award will be officially handed out during an Award Ceremony and Dinner, which will take place in November 2023 in Brussels.