As part of the many initiatives under its ambitious "Our World, Our Future" sustainability strategy, DP World is an active participant in the Green Marine certification program. This voluntary initiative promotes environmental sustainability within North America’s maritime industry and sets rigorous performance benchmarks across the sector.
How does Green Marine Operate?
Green Marine assesses participants annually on a scale of 1 to 5 across 14 key performance indicators (KPIs). These KPIs span areas such as greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, air quality, spill prevention, waste management, community impacts, and aquatic ecosystems.
Participants earn initial Green Marine certification by achieving at least a level 2 “best practices” performance on one KPI. To maintain certification, participants must demonstrate a minimum one-point increase in one KPI each year until level 2 is reached across all categories. Self-reported results are verified every two years by external auditors, strengthening the program’s integrity.
DP World’s Green Marine Successes
For over a decade, DP World has enjoyed consistent success in the Green Marine program. In June 2024, the company earned Green Marine recertification for its Fairview Container Terminal at Prince Rupert, British Columbia – a certification held since 2013. This achievement highlights the terminal's excellence across six KPIs: GHG and air pollutant emissions, spill prevention, waste management, community impact, environmental leadership, and community relations.
Building on this success, DP World significantly expanded its Green Marine involvement in late 2024 by enrolling three additional terminals – located in Vancouver, Nanaimo, and Saint John – into the program. This expansion means DP World now manages four Green Marine-certified terminals in Canada, reinforcing its environmental leadership across strategic maritime locations in North America.
Looking Forward
DP World’s continued participation in Green Marine is crucial to the company’s aggressive push to decarbonize port and terminal operations. Hitting Green Marine targets naturally compliments the work DP World is doing beyond the program. For example, the company’s shore power initiative in Prince Rupert significantly cuts diesel fuel usage for vessels and is projected to prevent 30,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually – the equivalent of removing about 6,500 cars from roads.
Green Marine continues to evolve, reflecting increasing industry-wide demands for higher standards and improved sustainability outcomes. The program’s updated 2025 criteria feature enhanced GHG reduction targets, stricter controls on underwater noise and community impacts, and broader waste management practices for shipyards.
In 2024 alone, Green Marine saw the average performance score increase to 2.9 from its 243 participants, demonstrating broad industry engagement and continuous improvement. The number of terminals participating grew by 21%, with 83% of participants achieving a level 3 or higher for the GHG KPI.
DP World looks forward to the potential of adding more terminals to the program and is proud to be part of this growing global force for a green maritime future.