In the Brundtland Report, written by some nations in 1987 for the UN, the term “sustainable development” was used for the first time. It consists of meeting the needs of the present situation without compromising the needs of future generations. Strongly committed to this principle, the Port Authority of Ceuta has adopted, as a management model, a wider concept of sustainable development, based not only on the conservation of resources, but also on the contribution to the creation of a better world. The actions implemented by this institution are aimed at conciliating economic well-being, the preservation of natural resources and social balance, etc.

In the same line, in the year 2006, the Port of Ceuta was one of the first nationwide to obtain the Certification of the Environmental and Safety Health Management System at work in accordance with the reference standards ISO 14001: 2004 and OHSAS 18001: 1999 standard. Subsequently, in 2011, it obtains the Quality Management System Certification in accordance with the ISO 9001: 2004 reference standard and, finally, in November 2014, it is Certified with the Integrated Quality, Environment and Health and Safety Management System at work according to the aforementioned reference standards. These initiatives of great environmental impact and aligned with a sustainable development model, are complemented by the implementation of the Energy Management System in the front line of the State Port System in terms of energy efficiency and whose Certification according to reference standard 50001: 2011 takes place in March 2016. As a result, mechanisms are provided to establish a high level of self-demanding in the matter that has a significant reduction in supply costs and carbon footprint, contributing favorably to the sustainability of the port system.

In accordance with the firm commitments established in this area, in November 2017, the recertification of the Integrated System of Quality Management, Environment and Health and Safety at Work is obtained in accordance with the reference standard ISO 14001: 2004 and standard OHSAS 18001: 1999 and, in January 2019, the certificate of compliance with the European Port Environmental Review System (PERS) is received. With the attainment of the PERS certification, the Port of Ceuta joins the “EcoPorts” network of ports. In Spain, only seven Port Authorities have the PERS and Ceuta was the eighth to achieve this certification. In December 2019, the Port Authority of Ceuta subjected to an audit obtaining a favourable report for its registration in the EMAS registry “Community Regulation of Eco-management and Eco-Audit, which constitutes an environmental management tool that emanates from the voluntary regulations of the European Union that recognizes those organizations that have implemented an SGMA (Environmental Management System) and have acquired a commitment to continuous improvement, verified by independent audits.

Finally, some days ago, the Port Authority of Ceuta wanted to go a step further in its commitment to a “Sustainable” management model by joining the AIVP (Worldwide Network of port cities) “the only global network which, for more than 30 years, provides a meeting point for all urban and port actors. The AIVP is a privileged witness of the evolutionary changes the different cities and ports of the entire world are experiencing”.

With the AIVP, port cities imagine a more sustainable, responsible and innovative urban, port and economic development. In line with this, the Port Authority of Ceuta has also ratified the AIVP AGENDA 2030 with the purpose of contributing to the sustainable development of port cities. This agenda consists of ten commitments, whose objective is to reduce the environmental impact of port cities, presented to the UN as a contribution of port cities for the seventeen Sustainable Development Goals.

Each of the ten objectives will be treated from the comprehensive approach proposed by the United Nations Organization in this subject:

• Adaptation to climate change anticipating its consequences in port cities.

• Energy transition and circular economy, which favours cooperation among local socio-economic actors to link their activities and improve the management of natural resources.

• Sustainable mobility that facilitates urban decongesting.

• Renewed governance, which establishes the dialogue among all the agents involved, including civil society and promoting a balanced territorial policy between urban uses and active port.

• Investment in human capital, which favours professional training in the port area and creates spaces for collaborative experimentation so as to generate new projects.

• Port culture and identity, which recovers the pride of belonging to the port city.

• Quality food for all people making a sustainable distribution of them.

• Port-city interface, reducing the inconvenience the port activity near the urban environment could cause to the inhabitants.

• Health and quality of life, related to the improvement in the quality of air and water in the docks, as well as the reduction of noise levels and light pollution.

• Protection of biodiversity, both terrestrial and aquatic in the surroundings of the port city.

At present, the Port Authority of Ceuta has carried out some actions aligned with these objectives and plans to be part of the axis of different projects planned in the short and medium term. Some examples are the following:

• Adaptation to climate change, health and quality of life: signing of an agreement with the Autonomous City of Ceuta for the improvement of air quality, entry into force of the Instruction for the reduction of hydrogen sulfide emissions into the atmosphere in the oil-bearing products which operates in the Port of Ceuta.

• Energy transition and Sustainable mobility: acquisition and installation of LED technology, acquisition of electric vehicles, efficient air conditioning systems at the Maritime Station …

• Port-city interface: enclosure project of the Port of Ceuta that will serve to reinforce the security of the port facilities and investments to improve the accessibility of the Maritime Station.

• Protection of biodiversity: studies on water quality based on ROM-5.1-13, Recommendation on the Quality of Coastal Waters in Port Areas: physicochemical and biological indicators.