Port of Koper, Slovenia – ESPO initiative
Olive picking and community in the port of Koper
The port of Koper says that a rule of “walk the talk” is being applied to both planning and operations.
The port authority realised from last year's award that a lot of European ports are confronted with a similar lack of public acceptance.
So, Koper's project particularly focuses on actual environment-protection activities within the port which have a beneficial influence on employees, local inhabitants and all the others whose lives are touched by its operations.
One of the key points to Koper's project is the National Spatial Plan. In particular, this focuses on the development of environment-friendly measures such as photovoltaic generation of energy and the further greening of the port zone.
The anticipated measures and new technologies will additionally reduce noise and light pollution. Currently, energy-saving bulbs account for 70% of port illumination and a new system also ensures there is no light radiation above the horizontal. Further to the real-time publication of dust and noise measurements in the port, a light pollution map is also to be published.
Up to 80% of waste generated in the port is collected separately for reprocessing, and organic waste from the entire Koper municipality is processed into compost within the port’s in-house plant.
“In order to be better understood, the port has to open outwards” says Gregor Veselko, president of Koper’s board, so elements of the project comprise new channels of communication with neighbours as well as interaction with the local population. For example, the port's sustainable-development web portal will become a locus through which anyone can acquire information about operations, current events and issues that might affect them and it is looking to expanding its annual Open Door event.
Mr Veselko explains that the social environment is seen as the port’s partner, so there is both investment in the infrastructure of the port as well as in - amongst other things - environmental and social cohesion measures in relation to the city and surrounding region.
“Investing in people and their well-being, both inside the company as well as beyond the port’s fence, is really a long-term process,” says Mr Veselko, adding that results are slow, but sure.
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