Dear mindful readers,
For starters, I honestly feel pretty giddy and elated to be back after having gone through a depressing grieving phase from my mom’s passing a month ago.
Anyway, I trust everyone is in high spirits and in the best health. A cup of steaming hot coffee and fresh buttered toast helped awaken my senses on a lazy and peaceful Saturday morning.
So, before I discuss our topic, it is important to define what a “green” port city is.
Research yields an array of definitions of a “green port city,” though technically, they all refer to an urban locale where the operations of a port are aligned with principles of sustainability and environmental stewardship. It is also an economically progressive area that integrates sustainable practices within its port activities focused on minimizing environmental impact through eco-friendly operations, innovative technologies, and sustainable transport solutions, including pollution reduction, energy efficiency, waste management practices, and ecological conservation efforts.
Several ports in the Philippines have already been recognized for their green initiatives, anchored on goals of achieving sustainability and environmentally friendly practices. In 2017, the Port of Batangas was awarded the Green Port Award System (GPAS), conferred by the APEC Port Services Network (APSN). Leading their list of green initiatives is establishing a 2.37-hectare Tree Park, which is home to Indigenous species that supports the absorption of CO2 and other air pollutants and improves the micro climatic condition at the port. Other domestic ports have also joined the green port caravan, namely the ports of Cagayan de Oro, Davao, Batangas, and Surigao, to name a few.
Meanwhile, the Subic Bay Freeport Zone (SBFZ), keen on further strengthening its green initiatives through the Ecology Center of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) with projects namely, regular tree planting activities, coastal cleanups, anti-littering campaign, as well as recyclable workshops and collection projects, and strategic engagements in collaboration with the Telecommunications Department for the installation of solar panels in significant SBMA buildings, the Maintenance and Transportation Department with the conversion of incandescent or halogen lights to LED (light-emitting diode) lights, and just recently, the conduct of the audience packed convention of the International Network of Affiliated Ports organized by the SBMA Operations Group which zeroed in on the promotion of resiliency, disaster preparedness and sustainability in port operations.
This year, the SBMA visualizes a “green port city” with state-of-the-art facilities and mechanisms to attain a “carbon-neutral economic zone.” This project involves gradually decarbonizing buildings and transportation within the freeport zone, adopting low-carbon infrastructure design, and managing waste and wastewater. Freeport businesses will also be incentivized to encourage businesses within the freeport to reduce carbon emissions and adopt emerging renewable energy technologies. Taking this a notch higher, the Port of Subic Bay, in collaboration with its domestic and international sister ports, shall aim to push for a conglomerate of green ports as a significant strategy to improve port operations, protect the ecosystem, enhance the public image and the quality of life of stakeholders, promote tourism, and more significantly, combat the devastating effects of climate change.
The “ship-to-shore power” project, the first in the country, will jumpstart the agency’s journey towards achieving a green port city. In this project, shoreside electrical power will be connected to a ship at berth.
SBMA Chairman and Administrator Eduardo Jose L. Aliño shares the project’s concept, citing, “Shore power will efficiently cut air pollution from ships at berth by 95 percent.”
With the implementation of the ship-to-shore energy project, which focuses on the efficient transfer of energy supplies from ships to coastal or port facilities through a variety of technologies and systems, port operations will effectively enhance sustainability and reduce emissions associated with traditional energy shipping methods.
Envisioning the Port of Subic Bay as a thriving and dynamic green port city through solid and cost-effective strategies marks a momentous step towards achieving a more sustainable and environmentally friendly future. As the port embarks on innovative practices prioritizing ecological balance, pressing environmental concerns are addressed, and the overall well-being of communities is enhanced. In a world that is fiercely challenged by climate change, worsened by the grim atrocities of humankind, the establishment of a Subic green port city shall stand as a testament to the SBMA’s commitment to contribute to building a sustainable future for its stakeholders while paving the way for its domestic and international sister ports to follow.
Love and light,
Iamempress22