We Can! Sustainability efforts highlighted in annual report
For the eleventh year in a row, the Port of Vancouver USA has demonstrated its continued commitment to sustainable business practices and highlighted successes with its 2019 Sustainability Report — an annual report of the port’s “We Can!” Sustainability Task Force.
“For over a decade this program has been a part of port operations and continues to make positive impacts,” said Environmental Program Manager Mary Mattix. “Not only does it provide an outlet for employees to think critically and creatively about sustainability, but it provides the platform for the port as a whole, to be a leader in environmental stewardship, social equity and economic viability.”
The report takes stock of the work of the We Can! Sustainability Task Force, which identifies areas of improvement and sets goals and targets to align with the port’s Strategic Plan in three areas of sustainability: people, planet and profit.
Highlights from the 2019 Sustainability Report include:
Social Equity – “People”:
- Increasing public events and creating more opportunities for public engagement (e.g.: lecture series, public tours, commissioner coffees and the Christmas ship viewing event).
- Used a wide variety of mediums to reach a diverse audience through newsletters, social media, website, online videos and television.
- Maintained a culture of safety through identification and resolution of safety concerns through employee involvement in safety committees.
Environmental Stewardship – “Planet”
- Took steps to encourage a healthy climate and clean air: reduce energy use by upgrading lighting systems, conserving approximately one million kilowatt hours annually; take stock of the port’s clean air efforts through the creation of a clean air portfolio, advancing climate action planning efforts, supporting renewable energy through renewable energy certificates and wind cargo handling, diverting waste from landfills, upgrading fleet to more efficient models and much more.
- Added additional spill response equipment to provide expanded emergency spill response supplies.
- Obtained LEED Gold Neighborhood Plan certification for the port’s Terminal 1 development plan.
Economic Vitality – “Profit”
- Maintaining sound financial practices, which resulted in the port’s eleventh consecutive clean audit for 2019.
- Expanded uses of technology to develop tools to support maintenance and management of assets.
- Developed, tested and implemented a port-wide Business Continuity and Resiliency Plan.
Additional highlights from the 2019 report and previous years’ reports can be found on the port’s website.