Our Net Zero 2040 Commitment

With an estimated 95% of the world’s goods traded by sea, Ports, as significant hubs for enabling trade, have a responsibility to reduce their contributions to climate change.

At Peel Ports, we have taken this responsibility seriously and are now making a firm commitment to become a net zero port operator by 2040.

We have invested over £1 billion in the last ten years on sustainable infrastructure. One of the key areas of focus for this investment has been on decreasing operational emissions, so a net zero target is a natural evolution of these efforts.

Our Vision

As a responsible port operator, our goal is to reduce our negative environmental impact as much as possible. Applying this to climate change, this means understanding and reducing our emissions that are contributing to this global issue.

We work with our network of partners and customers, such freight forwarders and shipping lines to ensure we support them, and provide solutions so they can achieve their own carbon neutral ambitions now and in the future.

Our ports of the future will be greener, more sustainable environments which have made responsible decisions, as part of the journey to net zero, to adopt new technologies and natural solutions in order to achieve our 2040 goals with urgency.

We plan to:
  • Maintain effective carbon management across all our ports
  • Support our customers and port user network with environmental solutions
  • Procure services and goods based on reducing carbon footprint criteria
Some of our work to date
Partners with purpose
Sustainable growth regional economy

Some of our work to date

Our open Innovation Forum partnership with Carbon limiting technologies tries to solve some of the biggest questions around emissions reductions. This forum tracks down answers from universities, entrepreneurs and consultants. These are pitched into Peel Ports, where we then invest in the best innovation and deploy it at scale.

Energy

Our £400m investment into L2 terminal had sustainability at the heart of its design. Its electric cranes are energy efficient and capable of generating and exporting back to the network. All physical container movements are optimized to reduce energy consumption

Lighting across the ports is undergoing transition to LED, much of which also incorporate controls and sensors ensuring energy is only used when required.

We are undergoing trials in the use of greener fuels as such as Green D for plant and equipment

Rail

We are investing in and increasing the number of rail connections and multimodal services across our ports to reduce road miles.

Plant, Equipment & Infrastructure

50% of our vehicles are currently electric and we plan to transfer the remainder by December 2022

Electric trials of fork Lift trucks have now started

Our investment into new warehousing push our sustainability agenda, waste rain and surface water from roofs is collected to fill up the dock levels

Use of tarmacking with recycled asphalt to save 5m tonnes of carbon

Partners with purpose

We are working with customers and partners to enable sustainable solutions so they can make the transition to become carbon neutral port users.

Cold ironing

Discussions are taking place with one of our shipping line partners on a ship to shore power solution, which will allow ships to transfer to electric power when idling on the dock.

Road to rail

We now have the ability to offer rail solutions to freight forwarders so they can switch from road to rail, with one freight train taking 44 trucks off the road.

Road to Sea

The Port of Liverpool secured new services with short sea freight operator CLdN, which brings in fresh produce from Spain and Portugal. This changed shipment flows into the UK away from the congested ports of Calais and Dover and into the north, much closer to warehouses, markets and households where it was needed

Sustainable growth regional economy

NWHA – North West Hydrogen Alliance

We are partners in the HyNet, a ground breaking project that will unlock a low carbon future for the north west and north wales

Regional projects which affect our ports directly or indirectly, need to take the environment into account. We pledge to ensure that, where we can influence third party developers of projects we will work to minimise or offset the impact on the environment

Hunterston Parc

Hunterston PARC brings together energy intensive industries with low cost, on-site power and heat generation, offering a unique opportunity to the development innovative, self-sustaining and cost-effective operations

You might also be interested in...

We have already made significant investments across our portfolio that are already helping to decarbonise our operations. Part of our commitment to net zero will be to continue our work in these areas as well as inviting innovation in other areas that will helps us to achieve our goals.

View all news.