End of October, the European Sea Ports Organisation (ESPO) unveiled its annual ESPO Environmental Report 2025 - EcoPortsinSights 2025 during the GreenPort Congress hosted by Transport Malta in Valletta. ESPO's Environmental Report is a cornerstone of the EcoPorts initiative, designed to champion environmental sustainability in European ports. This year's edition draws upon data collected from 77 European ports across 18 countries. Through the EcoPorts Self-Diagnosis Method (SDM), ports submit a wide range of environmental data, providing the basis for the report.
One of the main features of this report remains the Top 10 Environmental Priorities, a list which sheds light on the environmental challenges faced by European ports. This ranking, which started back in 1993?, provides both ESPO and European policymakers with the critical insights needed to make well-informed decisions. For the fourth consecutive year, climate change maintains its position as the foremost environmental concern for European ports.
Aside from climate change, other key priorities in the sector include air quality and energy efficiency. Since 2019, these three have consistently ranked as the top environmental concerns for ports in the region.
On the one hand, port authorities are taking mitigation measures to tackle climate emissions, assessed using a new set of indicators introduced in 2025. 80% of ports have established their own greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction targets, with 53% extending these targets to emissions from port-related activities and operations within their port area. (....)