Respresentatives of major European ports and leaders of the International Association of Ports and Harbours’ World Ports Climate initiative met in London on Tuesday to launch the new Environmental Ship index (ESI).

As of January 1, 2011, the ports of Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Moerdijk and Dordrecht will reward clean ocean-going vessels with discounts on their ports dues.

The better a ship’s score above the legal norm on the new international standard emissions, the better they will be rewarded.

The ESI certificate will be awarded by the World Ports Climate Initiative at the request of the ship owner, operator or agent. The ESI was deisnged by the ports of Le Havi, Bremen, Hamburg, Antwerg, Amsterdam and Rotterdam. The index shows the environmental performance of ships in terms of the emission of air pollutants – Nox and Sox and CO2.

Ports and other nautical service providers and stakeholders, including shippers, can use the index to reward ship and, in this way, encourage sustainable behaviour in the shipping industry.

Although the ports of Amsterdam, Moerdijk, Dordrecht and Rotterdam will be the first to start using the ESI to reward clean ocean-going vessels, the initiative hopes to attract other ports to participate. 

Fer van der Laar, managing director of the IAPH’s Rotterdam office, said that he hoped to see the number of ports offering incentive double in the first year of the scheme.

Each port is able to decide its own level of incentive. A large 10,000 tonne ship calling at Amsterdam for example that scores particularly well on the ESI may be entitled to save around #300 off typical port sues of  #8,000 per call.