Green Ports Intiative Identifies Sustainable Opportunities for Delaware River Ports

• Municipal
• Platinum
• Suburban
• Urban

The three port authorities along the Delaware River--the Delaware River Port Authority, the South Jersey Port Corporation, and the Philadelphia Regional Port Authority--teamed up on a regional effort to improve the sustainability of their individual and collective operations. This initiative, called the Green Ports Initiative, will allow the participating authorities to have both immediate and long-range actions to meet their sustainability goals, operate with greater efficiency, and lessen their impact on the environment when fully implemented.

Weston Solutions, Inc. formed a sustainability consulting team to work with the authorities on the project, which was initiated by the Delaware River Port Authority. After reviewing operations at the three Delaware River transportation authorities, Weston Solutions, Inc. successfully identified short and long-term sustainability improvements and created a roadmap setting out these options for the authorities individually and collectively. The roadmap included potential steps in five sustainability focus areas: Energy Conservation and Renewable Energy, Air Quality and Climate Change, Solid Waste and Water Resources, Sustainable Design and Construction, and Land Use Planning.

Most notably, Weston Solutions, Inc. identified short-term projects with relatively easy implementation and a high benefit-to-effort ratio. These early wins will allow the authorities to celebrate success internally and with the community and other stakeholders while they position themselves for the longer-range action items. This comprehensive analysis provided by Weston Solutions, Inc. was possible due to WESTON's 50-plus years of providing sustainable solutions, coupled with their in-depth knowledge of port operations. The complex assessment and resulting recommendations will result in long-term benefits for the Delaware River ecosystem.