For the 40^th edition of the European Heritage Days, on the 16^th and 17^th of September, HAROPA (France) will open the ports of Le Havre, Rouen and Ile-de-France to the public. The main activity will be guided boat tours to discover the gigantism of port infrastructure and the different terminals. Also this month, in Portugal, the port authorities of Lisbon and Leixões are organizing more activities to bring the people closer to the port. Lisbon hosted the Tall Ship Races, between the 31^st of August and 3^rd of September, which included activities and visits, with the Tagus river Parade as the main highlight. In Leixões the port has prepared two consecutive weekends for the locals. On the 10^th of September, the 8th edition of the Race of the Port of Leixões took place inside the port territory. A week later, on the 17^th, the port authority will organize the Port Day with concerts, workshops and sport activities.

According to the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), invasive species cost humanity circa $423 billion per year, with marine species accounting for 10% of the impact and freshwater species accounting for 14%. The IPBES Invasive Alien Species Report explains invasive species like zebra mussels and lionfish contribute to 60% of global species extinctions currently. The IPBES recommends international shipping to pay particular attention to “pathway management” through transport monitoring and prevention as eradication is almost impossible in unenclosed coastline areas. 70% of marine invasive infestations are connected to biofouling on ship hulls. Although the IMO solely has non-binding regulations on the matter, a third of shipping companies are taking voluntary action to address fouling.

The Port of Dublin (Ireland) has revealed plans for the Tolka-Estuary Greenway, which will open in 2024 to both cyclists and pedestrians. The path will stretch along Dublin Bay for 3.2 km and be integrated into a 16km long network that will wind through the Port of Dublin. In Ghent (Belgium), 3.25 km of new cycle paths are under construction and a 700m section is being improved to facilitate cyclists’ path when commuting to work. In Seattle (USA), port is improving the Terminal 91 Trail, which involves both widening the trail and getting rid of an old bridge. With the downtown waterfront bike connection scheduled for completion in late 2024, the port finds it important to also provide pedestrians a secure trail along the waterfront and through the port.

On September 6^th, 2023, President Joe Biden delivered remarks on the West Coast port worker agreement and praised the port workers for their role in maintaining the American economy afloat during the Covid-19 pandemic. He also congratulated the Pacific Maritime Association and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union for reaching a labor agreement after a year of negotiations. The new contract covers 29 ports of the American West Coast from California to Washington. Dock workers will receive pay benefits, including increased pay and a bonus for their work during the pandemic of Covid-19.   

On 28 August, Ports de Normandie started work to build a multimodal terminal in Cherbourg (France). The combined transport project will enable Brittany Ferries to connect Cherbourg with the European freight centre near Bayonne. Trucks will be unloaded from ferries and transferred smoothly onto trains for the 950 km journey down to south-western France.  The terminal is due to enter service in September 2024, and it is expected that eventually some 20,000 trucks will transit via Cherbourg annually. The cost of the project is in excess of 17 million euros.