Discover Green Marine's advisory committees
Green Marine’s uniqueness stems from the composition of its advisory committees that bring together representatives from the industry, governments, research institutions and environmental organizations. Gathered twice a year by one of Green Marine’s program directors, these representatives contribute to various aspects of the program’s development. These advisory committees are a big part of Green Marine’s collaborative success!
Regional participation has been at the heart of the Green Marine program since its inception. Four advisory committees are now in place, representing respectively the St. Lawrence, Great Lakes, North Atlantic and West Coast regions. These committees make it possible to highlight environmental issues of particular concern at the regional level and explore various possible solutions through collaboration. Before adopting a change to the program, Green Marine calls upon each committee to provide its point of view based on its regional realities so that a new program criterion takes all participants into consideration.
The St. Lawrence Advisory Committee brings together stakeholders from the shores of the St. Lawrence and the Saguenay: from the Seaway entrance to the Gulf of St. Lawrence. It is the only committee that works exclusively in French. Program director Véronique Trudeau is responsible for this committee.
The Great Lakes Advisory Committee has operated as a binational entity since its outset. It brings together stakeholders from all types of maritime activities on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border in the Great Lakes region. Program director Brittney Blokker coordinates this committee.
In 2013 the West Coast Advisory Committee was the first additional group to be formed. It encompasses participants between Prince Rupert and San Diego along the West Coast of Canada and the United States. The West Coast Advisory Committee is coordinated by Green Marine’s senior program manager Eleanor Kirtley.
Established in 2021, the North Atlantic Advisory Committee is the newest addition to Green Marine’s collaborative approach and offers members in the Atlantic provinces and Northeastern United States greater opportunity to decide the future of the environmental certification program. Committee members span from Newfoundland’s easternmost tip westward to Belledune, New Brunswick, and north and south between Newfoundland and Norfolk, Virginia. The committee is coordinated by program manager Thomas Grégoire.
Under the Green Marine charter, there must be a certain minimum number of members in a region before a new regional committee can be formed. The requirement is to ensure there will be sufficient eligible representatives to form a full committee with at least half of it being participants (ship owners, ports, terminals or shipyards), and at least one-quarter representing supporters (environmental organizations, governments and/or government agencies, academic or scientific establishment). Green Marine also brings together multi-stakeholder working groups, including sector experts, as required to address specific emerging issues, revise the program’s criteria, or develop a new performance indicator.