Report highlights progress from British ports in their efforts to decarbonise
The British Ports Association (BPA) has published its 2025 Sustainability Report, the first in what will become an annual assessment of UK ports’ efforts to decarbonise. The report is based upon findings from the BPA Net Zero Maturity Assessment Tool, which it says highlights that UK ports are making strong and measurable progress on their journey towards net-zero.
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Described as an “all industry exercise developed by the BPA and supported by UK Major Ports Group”, some 22 ports participated in this first annual exercise and the BPA expects more to join in the next year.
The tool tracks the sector’s long-term progress across eight key indicators of decarbonisation, including environmental management practices, target setting, emissions reductions, investments in infrastructure, progress reporting and transparency, and stakeholder engagement.
Primarily designed to provide a consistent way for ports to measure progress over time and demonstrate their commitment to achieving net zero, the full report is available to participating ports who can anonymously see how their efforts compare with their peers.
Key findings from this first round, says BPA, show that ports are:
Achieving real emissions reductions, with an average 20% reduction in scope 1 and 2 emissions between 2022 and 2023.
Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) is the most widely used alternative fuel, supporting the view that biofuels will play an important role as a transitional fuel in ports on the path to net-zero.
Engaging effectively with both public and private stakeholders, strengthening collaboration across the sector.
Limited grid capacity is constraining ports in their ability to accelerate emissions reductions, which affects both operational innovation and also the provision of transformative technologies such as shore power.
Rhona Macdonald, BPA’s Senior Sustainability Advisor said, “The Net Zero Maturity Assessment Tool not only helps individual ports track self-assess anonymously against their peers, but it also builds a collective picture of how the sector is transitioning. By sharing successes and identifying challenges, ports are taking bold steps towards a sustainable and net zero future.
“The hope is that, over time, the tool will offer an increasingly detailed picture of the industry’s progress and serve as a benchmark for sustainability performance in the years ahead.”