Authors: Wesley Flannery, Christina Kelly and Brendan Murtagh, October 2024
Year: 2024
Ireland’s ports and harbours are of strategic importance and are essential for its local, regional, and national economies. Ports are vital hubs that connect manufacturers, traders and consumers within global supply chains. Ports also play an important role in sustainable transport, as shipping is the most energy-efficient way to move freight and goods over longer distances. Nonetheless, ports can also be responsible for adverse environmental, health and social impacts such as air, water and noise pollution; traffic congestion; and damage to terrestrial and marine ecosystems. The (SHIP) project investigated methods to overcome challenges identified across the complex nature of ports and the diverse range of port activities and stakeholders to facilitate Ireland’s transition towards more sustainable port practices. It delivers a policy framework with recommendations on port governance, innovation, decarbonisation, port connectivity, efficiency and investment.
