The Maharashtra Maritime Board called upon both public and private stakeholders within the port sector to join forces in reducing carbon emissions throughout the entirety of port operations.

Praveen S Khara, Chief Port Officer, Maharashtra Maritime Board, underscored the government's proactive endorsement of the "Harit Sagar"green port guidelines, introduced by Minister for Ports, Shipping, and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal in May the previous year, as part of the endeavour to achieve zero carbon emissions. Maharashtra handles a substantial 77 million metric tonnes of cargo, involving various stakeholders across the logistics and trade ecosystem.

The 2023 Harit Sagar Guidelines focus on fostering a greener approach to port development, operation, and maintenance, with the aim of minimising environmental impact on the harbour ecosystem. They advocate for the utilisation of clean and sustainable energy in port operations, as well as the enhancement of port capabilities for storage, handling, and bunkering of greener fuels, such as green hydrogen, green ammonia, green methanol, and ethanol.

These guidelines offer a framework for major ports to formulate comprehensive action plans for achieving targeted reductions in carbon emissions over defined timelines, through focused implementation and close monitoring of green initiatives, aligning with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Rajiv Agarwal, Managing Director and CEO of Essar Ports Ltd, predicted that India would become a hub for green energy and a leading exporter of sustainable energy solutions, with adherence to these guidelines becoming standard practice for companies.

Devki Nandan, Senior Executive President at JSW Infrastructure highlighted the imminent necessity for the Harit Sagar Guidelines due to global environmental, social, and governance (ESG) concerns, advocating for setting benchmarks in green policies.

Vinayak Pai, Vice Chairman, CII Maharashtra, Managing Director & CEO, Tata Projects, stressed the importance of industry collaboration to drive decarbonization in the maritime sector, acknowledging the significant emissions associated with maritime trade and the imperative to decarbonize the maritime ecosystem.

(Source: ET)