Marine shipping drives 90 per cent of global trade, moving over 11 billion tonnes of containers, solid and liquid bulk cargo across the world’s seas annually. Almost all consumer products we buy — or the raw materials required to make them — arrive at Canadian ports via ship. Each year, Canadian port facilities handle about 340 million tonnes of goods, worth about $400 billion. Roughly 25 per cent of Canadian exports and imports, by value, are transported by marine shipping. Despite their economic importance, ports have adverse effects on the environment, including local air and water pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, noise and air pollution, traffic congestion and widespread contamination of sediments. Society increasingly expects Canadian ports to balance economic growth with social and environmental impacts — and some Canadian ports are already integrating elements of sustainability into their operations. But others could do more. To view the full article visit the Conversation.
