“Cooperation in partnership for the benefit of the Wadden Sea region” – is today’s theme for a gathering of Dutch, Danish, and German seaports and representatives from politics, government authorities, and NGOs (non-governmental organizations) in Wilhelmshaven. The port companies Niedersachsen Ports and bremenports are hosting this international conference. The objective is to achieve a trustful dialog and to gauge the possibilities of long-term collaborations.
The first half of the event is dedicated to explaining the role that the ports play and their functions and importance for the regional and national economy. In addition, the Wadden Sea Ports Network (www.waddenseaports.com) that has existed since 2016, and the Cooperation of the Ports of the Netherlands, Denmark, Niedersachsen (Lower Saxony), and Bremen that has already existed since 2016, will be introduced. “The Wadden Sea Ports are quite aware of their responsibility. For many years now, they have been paving the way for a sustainable port development and have been instrumental in ushering in ambitious strategies and measures” Dr. Matthäus Wuczkowski, Sustainability Manager at Niedersachsen Ports, emphasizes. Various Best Practice examples for climate and environmental protection, sustainable dredging strategies, and measures for the avoidance of light pollution will be introduced by the individual ports.
Afterwards, there will be a panel discussion and two workshops, where attendees from the ports and the environmental organizations will get the opportunity to exchange their viewpoints. “Different points of view and expectations are expressly encouraged. This way, we can explore our joint framework for action, and together, we can advance such topics as the energy transition” Katja von Bargen, Environmental Management of the Ports of Bremen at bremenports, explains.
The insights and results from the conference are meant to lead the way for the future cooperation between the maritime stakeholders and the environmental organizations. The cooperation will be formalized in a joint document with the title “Sustainable Shipping and Ports Initiative for a Well-Protected Wadden Sea” and signed within the context of the 14th Trilateral Governmental Conference on 11/29/2022 by representatives of the environmental organizations and maritime shipping and port-related industries.
