UK port operator Peel Ports Group which includes Clydeport has won the 'Green Champion' award at the 25th annual Glasgow Business Awards.

Announced at last week's gala ceremony on October 5th, hosted by the Glasgow Chamber of Commerce and attended by over 650 esteemed business figures, the Green Champion award celebrates businesses with a dedication to driving forward green initiatives.

Peel Ports Clydeport faced stiff competition within the category, nominated alongside Glasgow Caledonian University, Kabloom, Lead Powerful Impact and Scottish Sports Futures.

Clydeport’s win comes as recognition of its outstanding investment in sustainability and its industry leading mission to become a net-zero port operator by 2040, five years ahead of the Scottish government’s national decarbonisation targets.

Key developments made to reduce carbon emissions across the Clydeport operation include a £17million investment in installing two state-of-the-art electric cranes at Greenock Ocean Terminal (see photo caption), as well as changing lighting across all sites to LED.

The network of ports has also invested heavily in upgrading its equipment fleet to run on low emission alternatives to fossil fuels, with 88% of its fleet now running on Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil (HVO) and 90% on electric power.

David Wilson, deputy port director at Peel Ports Clydeport said: “We are ecstatic to be recognised for our efforts to dramatically reduce carbon emissions across our sites.

“Investment in sustainability has been key to future proofing our business, ensuring we can continue to offer innovative and cost-effective solutions that will stand the test of time.

“This award represents the dedication and focus of everyone at Clydeport, from senior management to those with boots on the ground, to delivering greener services across all our sites.”

Earlier this month the port operator announced it has significantly reduced its greenhouse gas emissions across its port facilities, cutting these by almost a third since 2020.

The reduction was announced in the group’s new 51-page ESG report - one of the most detailed reports of its kind to be produced by any UK port operator of similar size (see related Liverpool story). 

The independently verified figures confirm the group has reduced Scope 1 & Scope 2 emissions across its port operations by a total of 32 per cent, against its 2020 baseline and using a market-based accounting approach.

The cluster of ports was also nominated for the Sustainable Development award on the night, recognising its capabilities to create value through innovative sustainability practices.

Clydeport’s potential to facilitate renewable energy developments was recognised earlier this year when its Hunterston Port and Resource Campus (PARC) was one of 18 sites to be granted national development status under the Scottish government’s National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4), designating it as a strategically important site with a key role in supporting the delivery of Scotland’s national development strategy and transition to net-zero by 2045. The designation has set in motion the redevelopment of the site, allowing for a slew of new renewable energy developments to come onstream.