The International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH) has announced that OceanScore has been mandated as the administrator of the Environmental Ship Index (ESI) – a voluntary, industry-led environmental performance scheme that enables ports to incentivize ships that demonstrate performance beyond applicable regulatory requirements. Participating shipowners and operators benefit from incentives such as port fee reductions based on independently assessed environmental criteria.
For ports, the ESI provides a consistent and independent framework to recognize environmental performance, support incentive schemes and demonstrate sustainability commitments beyond their direct Scope 1 and 2 emissions. The scheme is supported by more than 70 ports and maritime administrations worldwide, with over 6,500 vessels currently registered, making ESI the most widely adopted environmental incentive framework in global shipping. The index was created by major ports in cooperation with the IAPH and has been fully integrated into the IAPH’s governance structure since 2020.
OceanScore has been mandated as the globally exclusive administrator of the ESI, and will work closely with IAPH, the ESI board and the ESI Technical Advisory Group to ensure continuity, transparency and consistent application of the ESI framework.
“We are excited to work in partnership with our new administrator, OceanScore, to ensure ESI remains the global benchmark for incentivizing the environmental performance of vessels,” said IAPH managing director Patrick Verhoeven. “Amid uncertainty about the maritime industry’s long-term strategy for decarbonization, ESI remains a trusted, established and evolving solution to help ports reward those vessels reducing emissions at a level beyond the IMO baseline.”
There will not be any immediate changes for ESI participants. OceanScore will work with the IAPH and ESI governing bodies to develop the scheme, with a focus on strengthening ESI’s role for ports and shipowners and ensuring alignment with evolving technical developments, regulatory requirements and the decarbonization ambitions of the global maritime industry.
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