Four ports have received awards for their contributions to ‘Mission Ocean’ at the 9th Our Ocean Conference in Athens

Today (16 April), the Ports of Antwerp-Bruges, Ravenna, Heraklion and Galataport have emerged as the winners of three award categories at the 9th Our Ocean Conference in Athens, in recognition of their contribution to the EU Mission ‘Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030’. The awards were granted in cooperation with BlueMissionMed, the coordination support action of the Mission Mediterranean Lighthouse.

The categories and winners are:

• Category 1: Building, Design, Construction, or Technical Sustainability Solutions
  
  Winner: Port of Antwerp-Bruges (Belgium)
  
  The port was recognised for its commitment to sustainability across all operations, with notable initiatives including proactive dockwater level management, collaboration for water conservation, and measures to enhance water quality and biodiversity.
   
• Category 2: Social, Corporate Sustainability, Community & Port Connectivity
  
  Winner: Ravenna Port (Italy)
  
  The port was acknowledged for its visionary strategies supporting the city's green transition. Key actions include the development of a green port and energy hub, the creation of a maritime park, and emphasis on sustainable mobility initiatives.
   
• Eco-Conscious Entrepreneur & Personality
  
  Winners (ex aequo): Heraklion Port (Greece) and Galataport (Turkey)
  
  Both ports were commended for their dedication and innovation in advancing sustainable practices within the maritime industry, setting a global example.

The awards come at a time when support for and recognition of Mission Ocean and its objectives is increasing all around. More and more stakeholders are endorsing the Mission Charter – only last week, at the UN Ocean Decade Conference in Barcelona, the cities of Barcelona, Ancona, Burgas and Mersin announced their support of the Mission and shared best practices to restore our ocean, seas and rivers.

Moreover, the Mission Ocean side event at today’s Conference in Athens showcased the increasing collaboration with foundations and the philanthropic community, addressing the need to better align public and private funding in order to restore islands across the globe. 

Background

The EU Mission ‘Restore our Ocean & Waters’ is developing, demonstrating and deploying at scale innovative solutions to protect marine ecosystems, prevent pollution and make the blue economy climate neutral. By connecting the people and places with the necessary solutions and knowledge, the Mission is supporting key actors – such as waterfront cities, regions, ports, islands, fisheries and conservation communities – to become resilient, climate-neutral and future-proof.

The Mission is a pioneering initiative with a strategic framework for action that aims to improve the coherence of relevant policies, and to create synergies between public, private, and civil society initiatives and investments in support of the UN Sustainable Development Goal 14 (‘Life below water’).

Just recently, the Mission Ocean and Waters has launched a call for expressions of interest to offer services and technical assistance to islands, ports and fisheries communities.