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Blue Circle Awards recognize environmental leadership at the Port of Vancouver
29 terminals, tenants, marine operators, and cruise and shipping lines celebrated for advancing sustainability and environmental protections, while supporting Canada’s growing trade needs
Vancouver, B.C.: The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority is proud to celebrate the environmental leadership of terminals, marine operators, tenants, and cruise and shipping lines at the Port of Vancouver, at its annual Blue Circle Awards. The awards recognize those that go above and beyond when it comes to reducing emissions and underwater noise, and conserving energy.
This year terminals and tenants were once again recognized for their energy conservation and carbon reduction work, with the return of the awards’ Energy Action category. Winners from Vancouver, North Vancouver, Richmond and Delta all demonstrated leadership around sustainability, including initiatives such as converting fleets to electric vehicles, replacing lights with lower-energy LEDs and reducing the energy intensity of their operations.
Twelve shipping lines, six coastal marine operators and five cruise lines were also recognized at this year’s awards for their leadership around sustainability, and reducing emissions and underwater noise—such as connecting to shore power and using alternative fuels and technologies such as wind propulsion and batteries.
“We are honoured to acknowledge the leadership shown by so many in our port community towards supporting trade in a way that protects the environment,” said Peter Xotta, president and CEO at the port authority, the federal agency mandated to enable Canada’s trade through the Port of Vancouver while protecting the environment and considering local communities. “Terminals and tenants, marine operators, and shipping and cruise lines are the engines that move Canada’s trade through the Port of Vancouver every day—supporting jobs and economic prosperity from coast to coast—and we are proud to celebrate the efforts they are making to ensure this vital work is done in a sustainable way.”
The Blue Circle Awards were launched in 2009 and recognize Port of Vancouver operators and customers with the highest participation in the port authority’s EcoAction and Energy Action programs.
- EcoAction was launched in 2007 and rewards shipping and cruise lines, and marine operators for taking measures to reduce their environmental footprint. Almost one-third of eligible calls to the Port of Vancouver qualify each year and receive harbour dues discounts for measures that reduce greenhouse gas and air contaminant emissions, and underwater noise.
- Energy Action was launched in 2013 in partnership with BC Hydro, and helps terminal operators and port tenants conserve energy. The initiative has helped implement more than 50 energy conservation projects across port lands to date—helping save more than 15,800 megawatt hours of energy (enough to annually power 1,600 houses).
The Energy Action Program award for terminals and port tenants was re-introduced this year after being put on hold during the pandemic.
Award highlights
- Swire Shipping, formerly Westwood Shipping, has been awarded every year since the inaugural awards in 2009
- Hapag-Lloyd has been recognized 14 times
- Princess Cruises has been awarded a total of 13 times
- HMM has won this award for 11 consecutive years since 2013
- Evergreen Line has won an award for nine consecutive years since 2015
- Disney Cruise Line received a Blue Circle Award every year it has homeported in Vancouver
Blue Circle Award recipients
EcoAction Program Recipients
Shipping Lines
- COSCO SHIPPING
- Evergreen Line
- Fednav
- Hapag-Lloyd
- HMM
- MOL Chemical Tankers
- MSC
- Oldendorff Carriers
- SM Line
- Swire Shipping, formerly Westwood Shipping
- TORM A/S
- Yang Ming
Cruise Lines
- Disney Cruise Line
- Holland America Line
- Princess Cruises
- Royal Caribbean Cruises
- Viking Ocean Cruises
Coast Marine Operators
- Amix Marine Services
- BC Ferries
- Seaspan ULC
- North Arm Transportation
- Tymac Launch Service
- SAAM Towage Canada
Energy Action Recipients
- DP World’s Centerm container terminal, Vancouver
- Pacific grain terminal, Vancouver
- Cascadia grain terminal, Vancouver
- GCT Global Container Terminals, Delta and Vancouver
- Seaspan Shipyards, North Vancouver
- Pure Industrial, Richmond
Media contact
Alex Munro, senior communications advisor
604.340.8617
About the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority and the Port of Vancouver
The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority is the federal agency responsible for the shared stewardship of the Port of Vancouver. Like all Canada Port Authorities, we are accountable to the federal minister of transport, and operate pursuant to the Canada Marine Act with a mandate to enable Canada’s trade through the Port of Vancouver, while protecting the environment and considering local communities. The port authority is structured as a non-share corporation, is financially self-sufficient and does not rely on tax dollars for operations. Our revenues come from port terminals and tenants who lease port lands, and from port users who pay various fees such as harbour dues. Profits are reinvested in port infrastructure. The port authority oversees the use of port land and water, which includes more than 16,000 hectares of water, over 1,500 hectares of land, and approximately 350 kilometres of shoreline. Located on the southwest coast of British Columbia in Canada, the Port of Vancouver extends from Roberts Bank and the Fraser River up to and including Burrard Inlet, bordering 16 municipalities and intersecting the traditional territories and treaty lands of more than 35 Coast Salish Indigenous groups. The Port of Vancouver is Canada’s largest port, and the third largest in North America by tonnes of cargo. Enabling the trade of approximately $300 billion in goods with between 140 and 170 countries each year, port activities sustain 115,300 jobs, $7 billion in wages, and $11.9 billion in GDP across Canada.
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