Greater Victoria Harbour Authority increases certified environmental ranking for Victoria Cruise Terminal at The Breakwater District
The not-for-profit Greater Victoria Harbour Authority (GVHA) has achieved a ranking of 3.7 out of 5 by Green Marine, an increase over their previous 2018 score of 3.3 and one that places the deep-water port among the most environmentally sustainable ports in North America.
Green Marine certification results are compiled on a scale of 1 to 5, where one illustrates the monitoring of regulations and five illustrates excellence and leadership. The average score for participating ports, across all applicable areas during the 2019 reporting year, was 2.8. GVHA, in partnership with terminal manger Western Stevedoring, scored a 3.7, building on its 2018 overall score of 3.3 and placing the organization in a leadership position among North American ports.
“I am incredibly proud of our organization for an unwavering approach to environmental sustainability and improvement, which is showcased in our improved Green Marine ranking,” says Ian Robertson, CEO, Greater Victoria Harbour Authority. “Our commitment to improvement is long-standing and continues to evolve with the addition of new programs, monitoring, and reporting, as well as a process of collaboration with thought leaders, community members, and partners.”
The increase in score from 2018 to 2019 is largely due to increased scoring in the ‘Environmental Leadership’ category, which rose from a 3 to a 5. Gains were also made in the newly introduced category of ‘Underwater Noise’ with the organization’s efforts in working with the Southern Resident Killer Whale Recovery Communications Committee and Ocean Networks Canada to better understand the local impacts and help to implement solutions around this poorly understood pollution source.
GVHA performed ahead of North American port averages across all categories while achieving excellence in ‘Community Impacts’ and ‘Environmental Leadership’. In addition, year-over-year improvement is a requirement for organizations in order to recertify, which GVHA has done since joining the program in 2011. GVHA’s partnership and engagement with other Green Marine and environmentally focused organizations has facilitated a shift to environmental practices being rooted in operations.
“I appreciate the focus and commitment of the GVHA staff in pursuing sustainability goals that improve our working harbour,” said Dave Cowen, Board Chair, Greater Victoria Harbour Authority. “It is rewarding to see that the hard work of the team has paid off in an increased rating through Green Marine, in addition to the pursuit of further improvement over the medium-term.”
The organization will continue to work with its partners and community towards continued improvement across environmental categories in 2020. GVHA’s latest project is the feasibility study and business case for shore power at the Victoria Cruise Terminal at The Breakwater District; results are expected by fall 2020.
Green Marine is the premier environmental certification program for North America’s maritime industry. The voluntary program helps port managers surpass basic regulatory requirements and become leaders in managing their port operation’s environmental impacts.
For further information on Green Marine, visit https://green-marine.org/.
(Greater Victoria Harbour Authority – GVHA)
