Overview
CMPort is committed to building green and ecological ports that co-exist in harmony with nature. In the pursuit of innovation-driven sustainable development, we are moving faster to build smart and green ports, proactively respond to and mitigate the impact of climate change, and conserve marine biodiversity. We try our best to minimize the environmental impact of our business operations, creating a beautiful picture of harmonious coexistence between the ports and the ocean.
The Performance Of 2023
Future Plan
Strengthening Environmental Management
Environmental management system
The Leading Group for Energy Conservation and Environmental Protection is set up to take full charge of the energy conservation and environmental protection work, with CEO as the head, General Manager as the deputy head, and principal leaders of the headquarters and subsidiaries as its members. The responsibilities of the Leading Group include: responsible for overall energy conservation and environmental protection; implementing applicable laws, regulations, policies, and standards; establishing a sound energy conservation and environmental protection management system and policies; coordinating, planning and establishing a sound, scientific and standardized organizational structure for energy conservation and environmental protection, and mechanisms for statistical monitoring, performance evaluation, and incentives and punishments; effectively fulfilling corporate social responsibilities; deploying energy conservation and environmental protection work and formulating opinions and deliberating major issues related to energy conservation and environmental protection.
Subsidiaries at all levels have also set up their own energy conservation and environmental protection leading group, energy management department and environmental management department, as required, and appointed energy management and environmental management personnel as required. Active efforts are being made to develop relevant policies.
Environmental management objectives
CMPort, in accordance with changes in laws and regulations, conducts regular environmental factor identification and control, and publishes environmental management objectives and indicators. Based on the characteristics of the port industry and the principles of environmental factor identification, the Company fully identifies and evaluates various environmental factors and risks, and formulates control and improvement plans accordingly. In 2023, the Company formulated and improved 81 eco-friendly energy conservation regulations, and took part in formulating and releasing the Requirements for Self-inspection of Port Environmental Protection as an industry standard. The year saw no general or above environmental emergency cases in the assessment. The key indicators set for environmental protection of were fully completed, and all kinds of pollutants were discharged only when meeting relevant standards, realizing a decline in energy and carbon Intensity indicators.
Tackling Climate Change
CMPort actively responds to the goals set forth in The Paris Agreement and China's strategy for carbon peak and carbon neutrality.Climate change is incorporated into the Company's overall risk assessment and management system to further enhance its climate governance framework. We identify climate change risks, fully supporting global climate action with a sound climate risk prevention strategy. The Company coordinates and supervises all internal climate risk-related matters, and holds special discussions to deliberate them. A robust mechanism and system for climate risk management will be established.
Climate governance
CMPort attaches great importance to climate change-related matters and works vigorously to achieve the vision of peaking carbon emissions by 2028 and achieving carbon neutrality by 2060, and establish a sustainability governance framework.
Climate strategies
CMPort is well aware that climate change will bring both risks and opportunities. In order to develop a more targeted climate strategy, and accelerate the coordination between different functions, positions and mechanisms in response to climate change and eco-environmental protection, CMPort has clarified the following key measures to coordinate and strengthen the response to climate change and eco-environmental protection on the fronts of strategic planning, institutions and systems, pilot and demonstration projects, intra-industry cooperation, etc.
Climate risks and opportunities
As a crucial element of climate risk management, CMPort has identified major climate risks, including both physical and transition risks. On this basis, CMPort has reviewed and adjusted the most significant risks faced by its operations, evaluating their impacts on port loading and unloading stages, transportation stages, and marketing or ordering stages. Consequently, targeted countermeasures have been formulated and subsidiaries are urged to implement them faithfully to reduce the adverse effects of climate risks.
CMPort is aware of both the risks and opportunities associated with climate change. In response to the transition to a green society and the growing customer demand for carbon footprint management, the Company integrates carbon emissions reduction into its business operations. Leveraging the advantages of large transport volume, low energy consumption, and minimal pollution in waterway transportation, the Company utilizes its port network to expand green transportation modes such as water-to-water intermodal and sea-rail intermodal. It aims to provide diversified transportation solutions that are safer, more efficient, and energy-efficient for enterprises committed to green and low-carbon development. This will facilitate structural carbon reduction and contribute to China’s carbon peak and carbon neutrality goals.
Targets and metrics
CMPort actively responds to the national energy security and low-carbon transition strategies. Taking technological innovation as the driving force, the Company is committed to promoting green and low-carbon development in investment, operations, and management, aiming to accelerate the formation of an industrial structure and production methods conducive to resource conservation and environmental protection, and striving to become an industry leader in decarbonization. In line with China’s goals to peak carbon emissions by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060, the Company has set the goal of peaking carbon emissions at 577,500 tonnes by 2028, and becoming carbon neutral by 2060, established an accountability mechanism for the target breakdown and fulfillment, and developed climate-related indicators, targets, and transition plans to accelerate the realization of net-zero emissions.
Efficient Resource Utilization
The stable operation of ports relies on sustainable resource supply, particularly water resources, which play a crucial role in cross-sea cargo transportation. CMPort is committed to utilizing and managing resources in a sustainable and responsible manner. Through digitalization and the R&D of energy-saving and water-saving technologies, we continuously improve resource utilization efficiency.
Energy consumption reduction
CMPort strictly abides by the Energy Conservation Law of the People’s Republic of China, and in light of its own reality, has formulated internal rules such as the Regulations on Energy Conservation and Environmental Protection, the Administrative Measures on Statistic Monitoring for Energy Consumption and Carbon Emissions, and the Administrative Measures on Energy Conservation and Environmental Protection Performance Assessment, scientifically setting the objectives of energy measurement management. The Company also continuously expands the application of new energy-saving technologies and products, gives priority to the use of environmentally friendly and efficient equipment, and replaces fuel with clean and low-carbon electricity to effectively improve energy use efficiency and reduce fuel consumption. During the reporting period, the Company took proactive measures to meet the targets of energy intensity and total energy consumption.
Water resources conservation
CMPort monthly monitors subsidiaries’ consumption of fresh water and recycled water and advocates for the construction of water recycling systems and wastewater treatment systems to promote the conservation and efficient utilization of water resources.
Advocate for Resource conservation
CMPort goes green in various aspects of routine business operations, and employs technology to enhance operational capabilities. Thanks to the ever-improving automation systems and paperless customs clearance, the Company has reduced the use of office consumables, improved the resource utilization rate, and minimized its own environmental impacts.
Reducing Emissions
CMPort is well aware that bad emissions management can pose a significant threat to the environment, as well as the health and well-being of the people. The Company strives to minimize its waste footprint and make sure that all the waste is properly treated. We implement clean production and green operations, aiming to reduce waste generated, increase recycling, and adopt more circular approaches to optimize resource utilization and minimize environmental impacts.
Building Eco-Ports
Biodiversity is essential for the well-being of mankind and serves as a crucial foundation for human survival and development. CMPort actively protects marine biodiversity and prevents marine pollution through responsible management and conservation activities in its operations. As ports develop, the Company assesses and mitigates potential impacts on marine biodiversity while developing infrastructure, aiming to minimize or eliminate any disturbance to the ecological environment caused by its operations in the long run, and achieve harmonious coexistence between ports and nature.
Approach to biodiversity conservation
CMPort attaches great importance to biodiversity conservation and follows the requirements of the Convention on Biological Diversity of the United Nations, the Opinions on Further Strengthening Biodiversity Conservation jointly issued by the General Office of the CPC Central Committee and General Office of the State Council, and the Technical Guidelines for Marine Ecological Restoration (GB/T 41339.1-2022). The Company has taken comprehensive measures to systematically minimize the potential impact of its operational activities on marine ecosystems and surrounding communities.
Conducting environmental impact assessments
In compliance with the Law of the People’s Republic of China on Environmental Impact Assessment, CMPort stipulates that an environmental impact assessment (EIA) must be conducted before the construction of port projects. The EIA includes investigations and analyses of environmental impacts and public opinions in the aspects of water, ecology, noise, solid waste, and air, and aims to identify potential environmental and social impacts and promptly develop mitigation measures. During the construction phase, measures shall be taken to avoid the spawning period of key aquatic economic organisms to protect natural biological reproduction.
In 2023, the Phase-1 Expansion Project of the Baoman Container Terminal at Zhanjiang Port avoided the fishing off-season and young fish protection period during the dredging and reclamation in the front area of the port. We took various ecological compensation measures , launched proliferation and release activity with the tracking and monitoring of their effectiveness, and constructed living seawalls. Also, a ship’s ballast water management system was established to properly dispose of ballast water and prevent biological invasions. For dredging and underwater operations of pile foundations during the construction period of the port, the Phase-2 Liaogeshan Engineering Project at Foshan Port of CMPort (South China) Management Center adopted an environmentally friendly dredger for dredging, and set antifouling films and added flocculants in the dredging area to minimize the loss of suspended sediment, for a decreased impact on the water quality and aquatic ecological environment surrounding the project.
Strict control of ecological impacts
CMPort remains committed to the conservation of surrounding environment. We have made a lot of efforts in pollution prevention and control, and marine conservation. We establish comprehensive eco-environmental indicators, standardize the operational process and schedule, regularly monitor the noise, dust, rainwater, wastewater levels in all ports, terminals, and logistics parks, and take actions to minimize ecological disturbances in the surrounding marine areas.
Advancing ecological conservation projects
CMPort actively supports local environmental conservation initiatives and cares about the survival of endangered species. Our subsidiaries actively collaborate with local environmental organizations and communities and continue to engage in volunteer activities such as tree planting, animal conservation, vegetation protection, environmental education, and garbage clean-up, to jointly address local environmental challenges and conserve local biodiversity. Additionally, ecological compensation measures are implemented after the construction of projects. For example, marine environmental fishery resource proliferation and release programs were implemented in the ports of Shantou and Zhanjiang.