Meio Ambiente
 Paranaguá is the first public port in Brazil to receive the ECOPORTS certification 02/06/2023 - 13:52

Paranaguá Port, located in Paraná, has become the first Brazilian public port to achieve the international Ecoports certification, the most important certification in the world for port environmental management. The recognition is granted by the European Sea Ports Organization (ESPO) and positions the port of Paraná as a global reference in environmental management and best practices.

"This certification provides assurance to investors and clients that our operations meet environmental best practice requirements. It is the result of collaborative work with the entire port community and is expected to attract even more business and investment to the state, making the port more competitive in the global market," highlights Luiz Fernando Garcia, the CEO of Portos do Paraná, the public company managing the port.

For him, the certification reinforces the commitment to develop Paranaguá as a world-class port. "Our goal is to achieve high-performance environmental and operational standards in line with the best global practices," he said.

The achievement follows a rigorous inspection conducted by Lloyd's Register Quality Assurance, an independent international organization based in the United Kingdom. "The audit is thorough and conducted in a neutral manner. The assessment takes into account the port's profile and the interaction of port activities with the environment," explains Rogério Duarte, the lead auditor of the process.

"One of the requirements is the existence of an environmental policy declaration, compliance with legal aspects, responsibilities and resources, compliance review, and the submission of a biannual environmental report and examples of best practices," he adds.

CRITERIA: The certification is specifically aimed at port activities, following the principles and regulations of ISO 14001, and based on a review system called Port Environmental Review System (PERS).

It took nearly three years of work to achieve the certification. "Initially, we went through a pre-assessment called Self Diagnosis Method. We consolidated procedures and regulations, promoted program restructuring, and with the help of operators and companies, we pursued certification," says João Paulo Ribeiro Santana, the Director of Environment at Portos do Paraná.

The certification is valid for two years. In Brazil, in addition to Paranaguá, which is a public port, only the privately-owned Açu Port in Rio de Janeiro holds this certification.

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