Every Italian port should be “sustainable” (which doesn’t just mean “green”)

The Marina di Chiavari – Calata Ovest is one of the ports that have joined the “Sustainable Port” project by obtaining a certification that rewards environmental impact, but also services and governance of the facility. Let’s see what it is all about.

Surely in the dreams of the sailor who sails along the coast or sets out on a cruise is to land in an efficient and environmentally friendly marina or harbor that champions the preservation of the Mediterranean. A facility that is able to offer all the services needed by sea travelers, from electricity to fresh water, from sanitation to fueling. But also one that is committed to ensuring that all this has the least possible environmental impact by educating sailors in environmentally sustainable behavior.

In Italy, where there are 537 marinas and berths, totaling 160,000 berths, there are now special certifications attesting to the quality of marinas and berths, in terms of management and also from an environmental point of view. One of the ports that recently obtained “Sustainable Port” certification is the Marina di Chiavari – Calata Ovest, which is located in the Gulf of Tigullio, the picturesque stretch of coastline facing the Ligurian Sea. It is here, moreover, that one of the stages of the legendary “Vela Cup” organized by the Giornale della Vela will take place on May 3.

The quality of a port depends on its sustainability

It makes one even more pleased, therefore, that the Marina di Chiavari – Calata Ovest, which is part of the Marinedi Group, in addition to being a reference port of call for those who sail in Liguria, is also sustainable and “environmentally friendly.” ” Our Marina is part of the 17 Italian marinas that were the first to adopt the “Sustainable Port” model, obtaining, as of the year 2022, the ISO17033 and UNI PdR 102 certifications of the “ESG Rating of Organization” and the “Sustainability Report” according to the FidESG scheme approved by ACCREDIA,” explains Chiara Vigo, director of the facility, ‘‘Sustainable Port’ certifies a Marina’s sustainability performance measured through environmental, social and governance indicators. Building on existing performance, through these indices we set annual targets and associated improvement plans, including economic-financial, digital innovation, social, environmental, and service quality targets that aim to create long-term added value for customers, the local area, the local community, employees, and investors. ‘Sustainable Port’ is an important tool for measuring, analyzing and strategically planning our Marina’s competitiveness, and we are extremely pleased to have embarked on this journey.” .

What does it mean to be a sustainable port?

So the sustainability of a port does not only pertain to the environment, although this is an increasingly important element for mariners. But how does one technically measure the sustainability of a port and how can one join the “Sustainable Port” management program? Fabrizio Cananzi,CEO of FidESG Srl Benefit Company “Program Operator” of the FidESG scheme, tells us.” Sustainable Port is the sectoral model dedicated to marinas of the FidESG scheme (or program), created in collaboration with Assonat to meet the needs of Concessionaires to manage and provide so-called ‘stakeholders’ with credible and reliable information on the level of exposure to ESG risks – Cananzi explains – has been developed in accordance with the main EU and international sustainability reporting standards and is accessible to marinas through a Saas (Software as a service) platform integrated with the Scheme, which allows the measurement of a port’s sustainability performance through more than 150 quantitative indicators, distributed over 5 ESG areas considered strategic for the sector’s competitiveness: Ecological and Energy Transition, Social Responsibility and Occupational Safety, Corporate Management and Service Quality, Digital Transformation, Economic and Financial Performance“.

In short, the marina is guided through the digital tool on a 10-step structured path leading to the issuance of two ethical sustainability assertions. What are they? “The Organization ESG Rating and the Sustainability Report containing the existing and planned sustainability performance of the marina,” Cananzi further explains, ” these assertions are subjected to verification and validation by independent Third Party Bodies accredited ISO 17019 by ACCREDIA who issue annual ‘sustainability assertions’ to guarantee the veracity, transparency and reliability of the ESG data declared by the marina and then made available for stakeholder consultation.”

It is not an award, but a certification

On the subject of port sustainability awards, sailors have been hearing about “Blue Flags” or similar awards for some time. How is “Sustainable Harbor” different? “In our case, we are talking about a scheme based on international standards and subjected to systematic and rigorous audits by Accredia that focuses on and recognizes the ability of marina managers to make investments on 86 specific ESG issues to achieve tangible and measurable results, assessed by independent third parties – Cananzi says – It is not an impromptu label, but the result of a daily commitment that involves the entire marina team in continually improving established sustainability targets both to make optimal use of the effects that the marina’s activities can have on its surroundings and the economic and social context in which it operates, and to mitigate the impacts that the external environment can produce on the marina“.

In addition to Marina di Chavari – Calata Ovest, the Italian ports that to date have joined the management program and obtained “Sustainable Port” certification are: Marina di Cala Galera, Yacht Broker, La Marina, Marina di Pescara, Marina di Procida, Porto di Lavagna, Marina di Teulada, Marina di Villasimius, Marina di San Rocco, Marina di Salina, Marina di Policoro, Porto di Barricata, Venezia Certosa Marina, Marina di Brindisi, Porto Turistico di Rodi Garganico and Marina di Porto San Giorgio. We hope many more will be added….