The Port of Vancouver is Canada’s largest port, and the third largest in North America in terms of annual tonnes of cargo. At the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority we are moving towards a more sustainable future for the Port of Vancouver. As our journey continues, we have made significant advancements in our sustainability governance model.
We are on an ongoing journey as we work to meet our vision – to be the world’s most sustainable port. In 2010 through a two-year scenario planning process with stakeholders called Port 2050, we identified a plausible scenario for the long-term future of the port. In 2013 we engaged stakeholders, Aboriginal peoples, and communities in defining what sustainability means for the Port of Vancouver. In 2016, we adopted our new vision: to be the world’s most sustainable port. We are now working to integrate sustainability throughout our business processes and culture, and are focused on defining how to measure the Port of Vancouver’s sustainability performance and progress towards our vision.
We have advanced our sustainability governance model substantially since 2013. Our updated vision and definition of a sustainable port have been integrated throughout our core governance and strategic planning processes. They now form a key part of the guiding principles of our strategic business planning process. Sustainability has been integrated across the responsibility of all Board Committees. In addition, Director Manuals and Board Terms of Reference have all been updated to ensure our definition of a sustainable port is included and forms a major guiding component of this information. This includes additions to and inclusion in the Board of Directors Terms of Reference, Board Committee Operating Guidelines, Board Committee Terms of Reference, the specific skills and experience required of board members, and the Board of Director orientation process and manuals.