Maritime Transport is an essential element of global trade and the economy. But even though the maritime sector brings substantial economic and social benefits, it has also an impact on the environment and the health of EU citizens in many areas.

• Greenhouse gas emissions from shipping and ports can contribute to global warming.
• Air pollution from ships can damage the marine environment and human health – 40% of Europeans live within 50 kilometers of the sea.
• Pollution events, like oil spills, can have dramatic effects on affected areas, both on marine life and humans alike.
• Research shows that underwater noise – caused by ships as they move through the sea – contributes to hearing damage, raised stress levels, and behavioral changes in marine animals.
• Untreated ballast water, necessary for the safe operation of ships, plays a part in introducing species from one marine environment into another, thus altering habitats and threatening indigenous marine life.

That’s why the Sustainability EducationAl programme for greeNER fuels and enerGY on ports (SEANERGY Project) brings together 12 European Partners to develop a #MasterPlan to reduce the environmental impact of the #portindustry.