Results
The Green Marine program demonstrates year after year its ability to encourage its participants to go beyond regulatory requirements.
Green Marine participants' environmental performance has steadily improved since the first year of evaluation in 2008.
The annual performance report displays all the individual results of the participants in addition to the overall average and an analysis of the environmental performance for the year concerned. Their progress is evaluated on a 1-to-5 scale whereby Level 1 indicates the monitoring of regulations and Level 5 reflects excellence and leadership.
Advancing environmental excellence
For the 16th consecutive year of results, the participants of our
environmental certification program demonstrate their practical insight, their willingness to pioneer innovation and advancements, and their commitment to continually reduce their environmental footprint.
16 years of continual improvement
The upward trends are tangible signs that an increasingly significant portion of the maritime industry improves its environmental performance year over year beyond the minimum requirement to maintain the certification with an increasing number of participants reaching Levels 4 and 5.
2023 Highlights
A total of 220 self-evaluations received. Largest-ever incoming class of new participants reporting on their performance for the first time.
Decarbonization - 2/3 of all participants achieved Level 3 or higher for the GHG performance indicator.
The number of shipyards rose by 44%, making this sector of participants the largest in terms of growth percentage over the previous year.
More than half of all participants improved by one or more levels when compared to their 2022 evaluations. The overall average
level improvement was 0.8.
The Community Relations and Community Impacts indicators went up 65 net levels which represents 70% of all level upgrades by landside participants in 2023.
During this optional first year of reporting, 45% of ports benchmarked their performance for the new Aquatic Ecosystems indicator.
To receive a printed copy of the report 📫
Again this year, in an effort to avoid unnecessary printing and mailing, Green Marine is providing a PDF format of its annual report, available on its website. But you can still ask to receive one (or more) printed copies by mail if you are located in North America.👇
Search results by participant
Our interactive map allows you to consult the individual profile of each of our participants, to know their most recent results, their certification status, and more!
Past performance reports
15 YEARS OF CONTINUAL IMPROVEMENT
Green Marine is celebrating its 15th year of advancing environmental excellence within the maritime industry. Taking into perspective 15 years of reporting, data clearly illustrates the upward trend in continual improvement and growth. This report also demonstrate how the program is well balanced and ever evolving. The overall average by participants was maintained at 3.0 on the program’s five-level scale. Green Marine’s overall average by participants has remained steady at or nearly 3.0 over the past decade. This consistent average reflects the program’s well-balanced while ever-evolving criteria.
Performance on the rise
Green Marine participants' overall 2021 environmental performance average climbed to 3.0 (out of 5). This small but significant improvement was achieved in the context of more participants, a more comprehensive range of issues covered and more stringent requirements. 164 evaluation reports were submitted, and a total of 976 levels of performance indicators were reported in 2021. These results required more effort than in previous years, as Green Marine increased its number of participants, the scope of the program, as well as the criteria for certain performance indicators so that they remain sufficiently demanding at each level beyond the regulations.
Continued commitment, despite the pandemic
A total of 169 self-evaluations were submitted for 2020 operations with some participants assessing performance for more than one type of business or location and with 15 participants reporting for the first time. Overall, participants reported 982 performance indicators achieving an average of 2.9 out of the possible five levels, again consistent with recent years.
With a significant number of performance indicators in the Green Marine program, it definitely requires some time for new participants to become familiar with the program’s criteria and initiate the resources and actions to bring about greater sustainability. Participants commit to a process of continual improvement. To learn more about the process, read our full report.
An unwavering commitment to a broader range of priorities
The environmental performance of Green Marine’s participating membership keeps improving even while the number of participants, indicators and criteria have all significantly increased. For 2019, a total of 159 self-evaluation reports were filed – a 10% increase over 2018 when 144 reports were received (with some participants filing separate reports for their varied divisions or activities). The program’s widening membership and scope resulted in participants individually reporting on 954 performance indicators in 2019 as compared to the only 147 initially related a decade earlier. Yet a full 90% of participants now report a Level 2 or higher average compared to 83% for the 2018 results – clear evidence of overall steady progress.
Green Marine holds course as it expands participation and priorities
The fact that the global average for 2018 held around the Level 3 mark (2.9) is indicative of the program’s rigour. It also reflects the challenge of maintaining a level and the expansion of the program’s scope. All criteria regularly undergo reassessment to ensure that all levels are sufficiently demanding in relation to existing or imminent regulations, as well as the availability and feasibility of new technologies and/or best management practices. New performance indicators, such as the one for underwater noise that became mandatory this past year, further challenge existing participants to continually improve their environmental sustainability.
The 2018 results indicate that the participants are continuing to rise to new challenges.
Steady growth and environmental leadership
Green Marine’s 2017 results mark the 10th year of reporting by the program’s founding members and the results measurably reflect their commitment to continual improvement. Long-term participants continue to increase their performance levels even though the bar has been set higher for various criteria, and new challenges have been added to the program. For example, the initial group of participants reporting in 2008 notably improved their average standing to 3.6 in 2017 from 3.4 a year earlier. Their current standing is a significant improvement from their initial 2.0 average a decade ago.
From 2016 to 2017, performance criteria were added and/or strengthened, making it more difficult to achieve the same levels as in past years. For example, ship owners had to meet more demanding criteria to achieve Level 5 for the greenhouse gas performance indicator. Ports and terminals were given revised criteria for spill prevention, as well as for the community impacts performance indicator.
Green Marine participants embrace new environmental challenges
The overall average of the participants for all performance indicators has remained steady over the last few years at approximately 3.1 (on a scale where 1 demonstrates monitoring of regulations and 5 stands for excellence and leadership). This overall average has been maintained, even as Green Marine:
- added a new performance indicator on waste management for landside participants
- raised the bar for criteria on air emissions and aquatic invasive species for ship owners
- retired the high-scoring performance indicator on dry bulk cargo residues
- welcomed new participants whose initial results tend to be lower.
The fact that the overall average has remained fairly constant despite all of these demanding changes is testament to the serious and successful pursuit of continual improvement by Green Marine’s participants.
Participants continue to advance their environmental performance
Green Marine’s participants maintained an overall average of 3.2 on a 1-to-5 scale, with Level 1 indicating monitoring of regulations and Level 5 reflecting excellence and leadership. Green Marine participants are ship owners, port authorities, Seaway corporations, terminal owners and shipyard operators. To assure the program’s rigour and transparency, participants must undergo an external verification every two years, and each participant’s individual results are published annually. The voluntary environmental program has 12 performance indicators that address environmental issues such as air pollution emissions, greenhouse gases, aquatic invasive species, waste management and community impacts.
Advancing Environmental Excellence
The past year – 2014 – was amazing for Green Marine. A record 94 evaluation reports were submitted! The global average for this seventh year of reporting remained stable at 3.1, but the individual results clearly show that our participants are continuing to improve their environmental performance. More than half of the participants (58%) across all categories have gone up a level in at least one of the performance indicators relevant to their type of operations. The increase is even greater among ship owners, with 68% reaching a higher level in relation to at least one of the applicable environmental issues.
Steering towards environmental excellence
The 2013 results reached a global average of Level 3.1 confirming the environmental program’s effectiveness in encouraging shipowners, ports, terminals, shipyards and Seaway corporations in Canada and the United States to surpass regulatory environmental requirements. These results show true commitment towards sustainability by Green Marine’s participants since, once again, despite more demanding criteria, the addition of new performance indicators, and the arrival of new participants, their overall average environmental performance continues on its upward curve.
Towards a sustainable reduction of the environmental footprint
Green Marine has achieved remarkable success in this fifth consecutive year of evaluating the environmental performance of its participants. After attaining a global average of Level 3 (on a scale of 1 to 5) in 2011, participants are proving that they are firmly committed to maintaining this standard and even surpassing it by achieving again a global average of Level 3 in 2012 despite a more stringent program. In comparing the results for 2012 and 2011, it must be recognized that participants were obliged to meet new program requirements for 2012 which dictated that environmental performance be improved to achieve the same rating as the previous year.
Performance continues to improve
With a global average of Level 3 (on a scale of 1 to 5) in 2011 – the initial target set when Green Marine was launched in 2007 – Green Marine participants are sending a clear signal that they are firmly committed to pursue their efforts on the path of continuous improvement.
Clear goals produce true results
This third year of evaluation provides graphic evidence of the environmental program’s effectiveness in motivating a large segment of the maritime industry to undertake concrete action to protect the environment. The global average attained by participants continued on its upward trend, clearly illustrating the positive effect that a voluntary program with clear performance targets can produce.
First publication of individual results
A key element of the Green Marine initiative is that participants agree to publicly report their individual performance results. This is an unprecedented signal that underlines the seriousness of their commitment. In 2008, 16 companies obtained Level 1, the lowest level of performance indicators on a scale of 1 to 5. In 2009, only four companies had not progressed to Levels 2 to 5.
Encouraging initial results
This first set of results indicates that Green Marine’s participants are already surpassing regulatory compliance, Green Marine’s Level 1 of reporting. They obtained an average global result of Level 2 for all issues combined. This is quite significant, given that the maritime industry is already regulated by an extensive and stringent framework.
See the full criteria
The environmental certification program’s success is largely based on its ability to identify and address key issues related to sustainable maritime transportation.