About

Established on 12 May 2017, the World Ports Sustainability Program is managed by the International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH), the global voice for ports worldwide.

Guided by the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). WPSP enhances and coordinates future sustainability efforts of ports worldwide and fosters international cooperation with partners in the supply chain.

WPSP has grown into a reference database of best practices of ports applying the UN SDGs and integrating them into their businesses across six key areas: Digitalization, Infrastructure, Health Safety and Security, Environmental Care, Community Building and Climate and Energy.

The IAPH Sustainability Awards is judged by an independent committee of industry experts and recognises leading projects in these six key areas, annually.

Key learnings from the project database are adapted to power IAPH’s Port Endeavor business game, which was co-developed in partnership with UNCTAD TrainforTrade and APEC to encourage global ports and their communities to integrate the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals into their businesses.

Port Endeavor has been played by more than 1,000 port professionals from all five continents, and has been upgraded to allow both live and remote moderation of games.

Founded in 1955, the IAPH is a global alliance of 180 port authorities and 148 port-related businesses. Member ports handle approximately one third of the world’s sea-borne trade and more than 60% of global container traffic. IAPH leads global port industry initiatives on decarbonization and energy transition, risk and resilience management, and accelerating digitalization in the maritime transport chain.

Via its Climate & Energy committee, the IAPH offers a suite of practical tools for making the transition to a decarbonised future.

Through its Environmental Ship Index (ESI), a voluntary system designed and used by ports, IAPH incentivises ship owners to improve the environmental performance of their vessels.