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Port authority announces winners of Blue Circle Awards for environmental stewardship

Eleven shipping lines and four coastal marine operators recognized for outstanding efforts to conserve energy and reduce emissions at the Port of Vancouver

Vancouver, B.C.: The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority is pleased to announce the winners of the annual Blue Circle Awards recognizing environmental stewardship efforts by tenants and customers at the Port of Vancouver.

“We applaud our industry partners for their outstanding voluntary efforts to reduce emissions and energy use at the Port of Vancouver,” said Robin Silvester, president and CEO of the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority, the federal agency mandated to enable Canada’s trade through the Port of Vancouver. “Congratulations to all Blue Circle Award recipients for demonstrating your commitment to sustainable operations, despite another challenging year for supply chains and the shipping industry.” 

The port authority’s Blue Circle Awards recognize shipping companies and terminal operators that go above and beyond to reduce emissions and conserve energy through the port authority’s EcoAction and Energy Action programs.  

“We are honoured to win a Blue Circle Award for the fifth time, recognizing our commitment to protect the planet and reduce greenhouse gas emissions with innovative technological solutions,” said Mark Collins, BC Ferries’ President and CEO. “Ships like six our new battery-electric hybrid Island Class vessels demonstrate our transition to a more sustainable future. As we look ahead with our vessel replacement program we will strive for zero emission vessels.”

Since 2007, the EcoAction program has provided discounts of up to 47% off harbour dues for shipping lines that take measures to reduce their environmental footprint. To date, the EcoAction program has encouraged shipping lines to make investments that reduce greenhouse gases, air contaminants, and underwater noise. In 2021, more than 650 vessels were awarded an EcoAction discount for meeting criteria such as being shore power-equipped, using noise-quieting technologies, and receiving third-party environmental designations.

Due to the cancellation of recent cruise seasons in Canada, cruise lines were unable to participate in the EcoAction program in 2020 and 2021. However, in previous years, cruise customers have achieved some of the highest levels of participation in the program. 

Since 2013, through the Energy Action Initiative, the port authority has partnered with BC Hydro to provide guidance to terminal operators and port tenants on effective ways to conserve energy. To date, the initiative has helped port tenants and terminal operators implement more than 40 energy conservation projects across port lands. In total, these initiatives have helped port tenants save more than 11,500 megawatt hours of energy––enough to annually power 1,200 houses.

Blue Circle Award recipients in the EcoAction Program category: 

Shipping lines  

• CMA CGM 
• Evergreen Line 
• Fednav Ltd. 
• G2 Ocean Shipping Canada Limited 
• Hapag-Lloyd 
• HMM 
• MOL Chemical Tankers Pte. Ltd. 
• ONE – Ocean Network Express 
• Pacific Basin Shipping (Canada) Ltd. 
• Westwood Shipping Lines 
• Yang Ming 

Coastal marine operators 

• BC Ferries 
• North Arm Transportation 
• SAAM Towage Canada 
• Seaspan ULC  

Terminal operators 

As the port authority was not able to offer on-site Energy Management Assessment workshops during the pandemic, we unfortunately were not able to consider terminal operators for a Blue Circle Award. We look forward to relaunching these workshops and reconnecting with our terminal operators in the years ahead. 

Award highlights: 

• Westwood Shipping Lines have been awarded every year since the inaugural awards in 2009 
• Hapag-Lloyd has been recognized twelve times 
• HMM has won this award for nine consecutive years since 2013 
• Evergreen Line has won this award for seven consecutive years since 2015 
• G2 Ocean has won this award for six consecutive years since 2016  

Media contact: 

Arpen Rana  
Media relations advisor 
604.340.8617 
[email protected]  

About the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority and the Port of Vancouver: 

The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority is the federal agency responsible for the 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 has control over 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 several Coast Salish First Nations. 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 $240 billion in goods with more than 170 world economies, port activities sustain 115,300 jobs, $7 billion in wages, and $11.9 billion in GDP across Canada. 

About the Blue Circle Awards:
The Blue Circle Awards recognize marine carriers and terminal operators that excel in environmental stewardship and attain the highest participation rates in the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority’s EcoAction 
Program and Energy Action Initiative. The EcoAction Program recognizes a variety of fuel, technology and environmental management options that are eligible to receive discounted harbour due rates. Ships may qualify for one of three levels in the EcoAction Program: Gold, Silver or Bronze. Marine carriers and operators can apply for the program at each call or provide an annual declaration for their vessels. Energy Action Initiative is a joint program with BC Hydro that helps terminal operators and other port tenants enhance their energy-conservation practices and save costs. Offering user-friendly financial incentives to improve environmental performance and energy management is one way the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority works together with customers and industry stakeholders to promote economic prosperity through trade while protecting the environment. 

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