This year, ships berthing at the port of Nijmegen, the largest inland port of the Netherlands, are to receive a 15% discount on harbour dues if they hold a Green Award certificate.
The Municipality of Nijmegen’s Alderwoman, Mrs Harriët Tiemens, is responsible for Finance, Sustainability, including Climate & Energy, Green & Water and Mobility for the municipality. Mrs Tiemens commented: “As the largest Dutch inland port on the busiest river of the Netherlands, we see encouragement of clean ships as very important. If by providing a discount on harbour dues our municipality can contribute to the “greening” of a part of that 165,000 ships that pass along or moor each year, it will benefit national goals of sustainability and the air quality improvement as well as the goals of Nijmegen. The Green Award scheme is a great tool to stimulate such improvement.”
Ships holding the Green Award have proven to be cleaner, produce less noise and have a higher fuel efficiency. The award recognises that ship owners and ship managers have gone beyond the industry standards in terms of safety, quality and environmental performance. The international certification already unites 16 inland ports and 573 inland ships as well as 5 banks that offer incentives to ships holding the Green Award.
Jan Fransen, Executive Director of the Green Award Foundation, stated: “Investments in environmentally-friendly ships pay off. “Green” behaviour in the inland shipping sector gets better and better recognition by all parties involved. We hope that this corporate socially responsible approach will develop further and even more ships, ports and other parties will join Green Award.”
