The 5th edition of the Italian Port Days kicked off on April 11^th and for the first time will be organized in two sessions (spring and autumn), in order to include the huge number of events and activities that are planned. The first session will end on the European Maritime Day on May 20^th. The numerous webinars, exhibitions and other events will highlight the theme for this edition: inclusion and accessibility. AIVP members are actively engaged: for example with port-city walks and visits with schools in Venice, conferences and photography exhibitions in Livorno, actions with students during the national Sea Day in La Spezia or even launching a call for artists for the second session of in Taranto. At the same time, in Vauban – Antibes (France), the port is celebrating the 2^nd edition of the “Port Spring” festival, with a free and public program, including many games, educational activities, workshops and races.

For the last 18 months, the port of Saint John (Canada) has been taking action to kick-start its energy transition. Shore power facilities are set to be deployed thanks to federal funding grants made available to Canada’s seven major ports in March 2022. There are also plans for Saint John to replace its existing trucks and vehicles with an all-electric fleet, and use renewable-certified energy. Of particular interest is the port’s new plan to manage “transition spaces” between its own land and residential districts, by creating buffer zones and avoiding pollution and other disturbances. The plan, which covers a period of 10 to 15 years, has been produced in partnership with the municipality of Saint John.

The Los Angeles (USA) city commission has approved the updated version of the Port of Los Angeles’ Public Access Investment Plan, which guides the budget for the development and operations of the Waterfront. The modified investment plan allocates a minimum of 10% of the port’s annual operating income to fund public access projects and operations linked to the LA Waterfront. Future funded projects will include the constructions of promenades at West Harbor and Wilmington Waterfront.

The conflict between Ukraine and the Russian Federation, two of the main food and fertilizer exporters, sent shock waves through the global food supply chain. The United Nations facilitated an agreement between Russia, Turkey, and Ukraine to allow for the safe export of foodstuff from Ukrainian ports in the Black Sea. Since, ports have resumed activities to ship food and fertilizer especially to developing countries, ensuring global food security to a certain extent. The war has shifted trade routes to relying more on river ports, in particular along the Danube. Persisting climatic factors, market disruptions, and high energy costs will continue to affect the global market and increase the need for concerted global efforts amongst ports.

The main petrochemical complex in the south-east Asian city-state of Singapore is located on a small island at the edge of the city centre. Every day, over 1,000 employees make the journey to work in the petrochemical plants, including those operated by Shell. The company has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) that will pave the way for an electric ferry capable of carrying up to a thousand passengers in a series of five round trips. The shuttle service is part of MPA’s “zero carbon” strategy, with all harbour craft to be fully electric from 2030.