Become a participant

It is Green Marine’s goal to improve the marine industry’s environmental performance in concrete, measurable terms. To meet this objective, Green Marine has adopted a set of guiding principles. In addition to respecting laws and applicable regulations, every participant that joins Green Marine agrees to:

• Demonstrate corporate leadership in the search for best environmental practices in accordance with a sustainable development approach;
• Carry out its activities in a responsible manner with a view to minimizing its environmental impacts;
• Aim for continual improvement of its environmental performance;
• Develop and promote voluntary protection measures;
• Integrate sustainable development practices that are technically and economically achievable;
• Collaborate with governments and waterway stakeholders in developing the environmental program.

To obtain Green Marine certification, participants must:

1. Adhere to Green Marine’s guiding principles regarding the need to continually improve their environmental performance;
2. Pay the annual membership fee assessed to Green Marine participants;
3. Submit an annual self-evaluation report signed by the organization's most senior executive (or the most senior regional representative) to Green Marine;
4. Agree to the external verification conditions established by the Green Marine Management Corporation;
5. Agree to the publication of their self-evaluation results by Green Marine;
6. Initially attain Level 2 or higher for at least one performance indicator and thereafter demonstrate continual improvement by increasing at least one level in one indicator every year until level 2 is achieved in each indicator.

• The participant must commit to complying with all applicable environmental laws and regulations and diligently addressing any instances of non-compliance.
• If any major non-compliances where significant environmental impact has or may occur and where requested by Green Marine, the participant will provide details of how the participant plans to resolve the situation. Such measures provide Green Marine with the assurance that the noncompliance is being addressed; however, through these actions, Green Marine does not assume any accountability or responsibility for overseeing the implementation of the action plan and/or assessing its adequacy.
• In instances of gross negligence or failure to address one or more non-compliance issues, Green Marine’s Board of Directors will have the option to terminate the participant’s membership in the program.

All Green Marine’s certification policy decisions are subject to the discretion of the Green Marine Management Corporation’s Board of Directors.