The former “Cage aux sports” building on the waterfront of Sept-Iles (Canada) is derelict. The site was bought by the port authority and added to its existing land in this section of the riverfront, which includes a beach volleyball court managed jointly with the municipality. When choosing what the site will ultimately be used for, the Port will consult the municipal council, local businesses, but above all citizens themselves. One thing is certain: the location will be turned into a tourism and leisure zone to improve quality of life and diversify the local economy. A call for proposals has been organised and the winning submission will be selected at the end of 2023, says Pierre Gagnon, CEO of the Port of Sept-Iles.

Barcelona (Spain) is well known as one of the most successful waterfront transformations in the world. Today, more than 30 years after the original plan, the port authority of Barcelona will lead the investment of more than €86 million spread over 17 actions, to design the citizen port of the future. These 17 projects will be concluded before the opening of the 37^th edition of the America’s Cup, the biggest sailing competition in the world. After the event, new spaces will be opened for citizen’s activities. These projects will include new promenades and public spaces with sightseeing points, sustainable mobility measures, rehabilitation of heritage, new fishing markets, educational centres, demolition of unused buildings and transformation of facilities for new uses, as well as the reorganization of cruise and ferry activities. In the long-term, the development of the Blue District will also be one of the main goals.

The EU’s latest legislative package unveiled on 16 March aims to deliver a minimum 40% share of renewable energy sources and alternative fuels to cover Europe’s energy needs. Several measures have been announced to accelerate the production of green energy sources on the continent: streamlined permit processes, additional funding streams, new professional training in the solar and wind power industries, carbon capture and storage, etc. Meanwhile, the “European hydrogen bank” will be set up to match green hydrogen production capacity with demand. The new entity will be up and running by the end of 2023.

The Port of Antwerp-Bruges (Belgium) hopes to entice companies in its port area to set up more sustainable projects by presenting the Sustainable Port Award 2023. The Port emphasized that the projects will be assessed on certain UN Sustainable Development Goals. These include SDGs linked to good health and wellbeing (SDG 3); industry, innovation, and infrastructure (SDG 9); sustainable cities and communities (SDG 11); and climate action (SDG 13). Four finalists have been selected.

The Port of Los Angeles (USA) has signed agreements with the ports of Tokyo and Yokohama to enhance the global supply chain and address greenhouse gas emissions. The first is for collaboration to test and deploy zero-emission vehicles and cargo handling equipment, to explore energy use, and to experiment with alternative energy sources. The second agreement establishes a green shipping corridor between the US and Japan along these ports, with the intent to bolster maritime decarbonization. The green corridor will partially be financed by the $1.2 billion fund the California State Transportation Agency made available through the Port and Freight Infrastructure program.