- The Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways recently launched ‘Harit Sagar’, the Green Port Guidelines.
About Harit Sagar Guidelines
- Aim: To minimize waste through Reduce, Reuse, Repurpose and Recycle to attain zero waste discharge from port operations and promote monitoring based on Environmental Performance Indicators.
- It envisages ecosystem dynamics in port development, operation and maintenance
- It aims at minimizing the impact on biotic components of the harbour ecosystem.
- Some benchmarks
- Ports must meet at least 60% of electricity needs via renewables by 2030 and 90% by 2047.
- Ports Must have at least one LNG bunkering station by 2030.
- Setting up electric vehicle charging stations in and around port areas by 2025.
- Provisions for adopting global Green Reporting Initiative (GRI) standard.
- It also covers aspects of the National Green Hydrogen Mission pertaining to ports.
About Global Reporting Initiative
- The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) is an international not-for-profit organisation, with a network-based structure.
- To enable all companies and organisations to report their economic, environmental, social and governance performance, GRI produces free Sustainability Reporting Guidelines.
- The guidelines are currently in their fourth generation (“G4”).
- GRI was founded in the US in 1997 by CERES (a United States non-profit organisation) and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) and was originally based in Boston, Massachusetts. I
- In 2002, GRI moved its secretariat to Amsterdam.
- GRI also has regional ‘Focal Points’ in Australia, Brazil, China, India and the USA.