The International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH) and the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) announced a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) outlining the areas in which the two organizations intend to cooperate, focusing on industry regulation and the bilateral exchange of information on technical capabilities, environmental initiatives, technical collaboration, and sustainability best practices.
The signing ceremony, attended by Bud Darr, president and CEO of CLIA, and Jens Meier, president of IAPH (CEO of Hamburg Port Authority), took place at the IAPH World Ports Conference in Kobe.
On the occasion of IAPH’s 70th anniversary and CLIA’s 50th, the MoU reflects the shared intention to facilitate the organizations sharing practical knowledge and learning from each other, while fully respecting local authorities, community involvement, and regulatory processes.
The agreement aims to foster the exchange of information. The idea is to share knowledge and guidance on technical and technological innovations, including Onshore Power Supply (OPS) technology and energy management, smart infrastructure, and the management of port operations at the ship-shore interface.
Furthermore, it will strengthen the exchange of knowledge on sustainability, by encouraging the submission of information from cruise ports and terminals to the IAPH World Ports Sustainability Program database.
It also seeks to encourage the use of the Environmental Ship Index (ESI) and other tools that reward verified performance and can improve the utilization of available shore power, as well as to stay informed and aligned with regulatory developments at the IMO and, when possible, coordinate the timing of inputs to consultations so that stakeholders receive clear and consistent information, without anticipating local regulation.
The plan is to meet periodically to discuss lessons learned in different port contexts and identify practical resources that can help members.
Bud Darr stated that “collaboration with ports is essential to achieving our common goals. We share the same waterfronts, the same communities, and the same need for reliable, safe, and energy-efficient operations. Working together makes us stronger, and that is why this collaboration focuses on what is needed as we both work to drive our sectors towards a net-zero world.”
Patrick Verhoeven, managing director of IAPH, commented that this agreement “seeks to achieve reciprocal improvements in efficiency and sustainability for cruise lines, shipowners, and the ports and terminals they use.”
“We will endeavor to use the existing toolkit developed by IAPH members in our technical committees on Cruise, Climate and Energy, Data Collaboration, and Risk and Resilience, as well as in upcoming pilot projects, to achieve meaningful impact for both parties,” concluded Verhoeven.
