This is a challenge set out in the Strategic Plan for the Basque Country to become a leading European port in environmental matters.
Oregi: “The Basque Country is moving towards logistical excellence.”
The Basque Government's Minister for the Environment and Territorial Policy, Ana Oregi, has presented the President of the Port Authority of Bilbao, Asier Atutxa, with the EMAS that accredits the managing entity of the Port of Bilbao's registration in the Register of the Community Eco-Management and Audit Scheme.
According to Asier Atutxa, “with this certificate the Port Authority continues on the path set to make Bilbao a benchmark port and voluntarily integrate socially responsible policies and criteria, included in the Strategic Plan of the Port of Bilbao for the period 2013-2017.”.
Councillor Oregi highlighted that “the interest of the Port of Bilbao in obtaining this environmental certification indicates how the Basque Country is moving towards logistical excellence in which sustainability is the basis of any initiative for its development.”.
“This accreditation,” Atutxa adds, “is a further step in the entity’s commitment to social responsibility, aimed at responding to a fundamental issue: that the external responsibilities of the public company must coincide with the rights of citizens.”.
As a first step, the Port Authority implemented an Integrated Management System for Quality, Prevention, and the Environment (according to UNE-EN-ISO 9001, OHSAS 18001, and UNE-EN-ISO 14001 standards) that includes actions for planning, monitoring, and continuous improvement of its activities. However, given the Port Authority's commitment to setting an example for its users and clients, its role in energizing the port community by advancing the integration of social responsibility, and the need for excellence in its environmental and economic performance, it determined that maintaining and improving its integrated management system required adherence to the EMAS III Regulation.
The Port Authority, which has 270 employees, believes this certification will improve its management practices and transform its work methods, leading to more effective, efficient, and responsible management. It will also enhance the entity's legitimacy and public recognition by providing transparency, improving environmental performance through indicators, and ensuring compliance with all applicable environmental legal obligations. "This social responsibility of the public company must be everyone's responsibility: personal and collective, shared and reciprocal, both within and outside the company," stated Atutxa.
Among the latest actions planned by the Port Authority in environmental matters, the following stand out:
- The measures to guarantee water quality include an ambitious project to collect land-sea discharges through a collaboration agreement with URA - the Basque Water Agency - and the Bilbao Bizkaia Water Consortium.
- Air quality control is being implemented through a network of monitoring stations for various parameters. Along these lines, a "Modeling and Prediction System for Air Quality in the Port of Bilbao" is being developed, along with the creation of an "Environmental Dashboard" to provide stakeholders with available environmental information.
- The updating, although not a legal requirement, of the “Noise Map” in order to know its situation, and to make it available to the nearby municipalities and the Provincial Council of Bizkaia.
- Measures aimed at improving energy efficiency and reducing the consumption of natural resources, such as carrying out an Energy Audit or replacing the Port Authority's fleet of vehicles and vessels with more environmentally friendly ones (electric, hybrid, gas vehicles).
- The signing of “Environmental Good Practice Agreements” with port terminals to promote investment in environmental improvements.
