Belfast to launch sustainability action plan

Belfast Harbour has a long-term commitment to sustainability, as demonstrated by the release of its first ESG Report earlier this year. Additionally, it collaborates with various partners, including Visit Belfast, with whom it has been working closely to develop a sustainability action plan throughout the 2024 cruise season.

The plan covers a triple bottom line approach to sustainability, covering the social, economic and environmental aspects. Gary Hall, commercial executive Belfast Harbour, says: "Cruise Belfast [CB] recognises its role in supporting Belfast's sustainability ambitions. With this in mind, we developed our cruise sustainability action plan. CB remains committed to advancing a more sustainable cruise experience for the destination and championing sustainable best practices across the region."

These initiatives include:

*Delivering specialised training to the Cruise Welcome Team, in partnership with expert organisations, to better support the needs of passengers with varying access needs
*Collaborating with neighbourhood groups to create an engaging animation and welcome programme at the cruise terminal
*Establishing a community fund from leftover currency collected at the cruise terminal, which will be reinvested into local communities by supporting tourism-focused community initiatives (see photograph)
*Increasing the proportion of products, gifts, and crafts sourced from the island of Ireland to 90% in the cruise welcome terminal
*Further developing neighbourhood tourism experiences to immerse passengers in the culture of Belfast and Northern Ireland and also benefit local communities economically
*Procuring 100% renewable electricity within Belfast Harbour (REGO-certified)
*Partnering with transport providers to optimise the use of zero or low-emission vehicles for shuttle services and shore excursions
*Working with key Belfast tourism businesses to measure carbon emissions and develop city decarbonisation plans