On Friday, October 17, France’s Vendée department adopted its Biodiversity and Climate Plan 2, a comprehensive roadmap featuring 30 actions to strengthen the sustainability of the territory and its infrastructure. The plan will take effect this year, with completion targeted for 2028. With an estimated budget of €43 million, the initiative will support the modernisation of port areas and marinas, providing guidance and resources to help them adapt to contemporary environmental standards. This effort is part of a broader strategy to develop resilient coastal solutions, anticipate rising sea levels, and enhance the adaptability of ports to climate-related risks.

Rina, an Italian engineering and certification consultancy, has secured a contract with Petronas CCS Ventures Sdn. Bhd., a subsidiary of Malaysia’s national energy company, to conduct Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) for the onshore infrastructure of a CO₂ receiving terminal in Kuantan, southern Malaysia. The terminal will collect CO₂ from domestic and international industrial emitters, transporting it for offshore geological storage. This project, part of Malaysia’s Southern Cluster, complements other Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) initiatives, including the Northern Cluster on the mainland and the Eastern Cluster on the island of Borneo. The Northern Cluster includes an onshore terminal, a jetty, and offshore pipelines, whereas the Southern Cluster features a CO₂ injection platform. Operations for the Southern Cluster will start in 2029 and should handle 5 million tonnes of CO₂ annually.

Construction has just begun on the “Island of Music” (Isola della Musica), destined to become a landmark building in Hanoi (Vietnam). The opera house, designed by Italian architect Renzo Piano, is scheduled to open its doors to the public in 2027. It will feature a 2,000-seat opera hall and a theme park. The roof surface, inspired by mother-of-pearl, will reflect the colour nuances of the lake throughout the day. This building is part of a development strategy for the lake, with efforts to restore native biodiversity, particularly lotus flowers. Eight pontoons will be created for a future lake transport connection. The surrounding ponds and waterways will also be remodelled. Access to the lake’s shores will be improved thanks to a new promenade.

The Alpes-Maritimes (France) prefecture has adopted new rules to better manage cruise tourism after consultations with local authorities. Each port — including Nice, Villefranche-sur-Mer, Beaulieu-sur-Mer and Cannes — will allow an average of 2,000 passengers per stopover, with a maximum of 3,000 per day and only one ship over 1,300 passengers per site daily. In July and August, large-ship calls are limited to 15 per month. Prefects may restrict or cancel visits during pollution peaks. The goal is to balance tourism and environmental protection through a coordinated, transparent framework for the entire Riviera.

Italy’s Infrastructure Deputy Minister Edoardo Rixi has proposed a port reform aimed at partially centralising decision-making while preserving local operational roles. The plan introduces a new state-owned company, Porti d’Italia S.p.A., to coordinate national port strategy, investments, and concessions, while existing Port System Authorities (AdSP) would retain day-to-day management. Ports will be classified by economic relevance, and those failing to meet traffic thresholds could be merged or restructured. The 29-article draft simplifies permitting and dredging procedures, strengthens ministerial oversight, and injects €500 million in capital to enable large-scale infrastructure projects. The reform’s goal is greater efficiency and strategic cohesion without entirely removing local governance.

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has agreed to adjourn the extraordinary session of the Marine Environment Protection Committee, leaving the discussions on the adoption of the Net-Zero Framework open. The framework—approved in principle at MEPC 83 in April 2025—sets out a global fuel standard and an emissions pricing mechanism, which together would form the backbone of international shipping’s path to net zero by 2050. The member states will reconvene in 1 year. This decision creates uncertainty over the decarbonization regulation and complicates the IMO’s greenhouse gas reduction strategy that was agreed upon in 2023.