ICTSI concession is South America’s 1st carbon-neutral port

INTERNATIONAL Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI) said its concession in Ecuador is first port to obtain a carbon-neutral certification in South America.

In a statement on Thursday, ICTSI said Contecon Guayaquil SA (CGSA) received the carbon-neutral certification from environmental ratings firm Sambito SA and the Ecuador Ministry of Environment for complying with International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 14064-1.

ISO 14064-1 refers to an organization’s quantification and reporting of greenhouse gas emissions and removals.

“This carbon neutral certification awarded to Contecon Guayaquil is a testament of our firm and unbreakable commitment to preserve the environment in our own way. This certification highlights, above all, a conviction and responsibility to guarantee eco-friendly and sustainable operations with less contaminating to the environment,” CGSA Chief Executive Officer Jose Antonio Contreras was quoted as saying.

In 2007, ICTSI was awarded a 20year operating concession for container and multipurpose terminals in Guayaquil, Ecuador. The contract was signed by ICTSI’s local unit CGSA and the port authority of Guayaquil.

CGSA said it has a designated team that monitors and forms mechanisms to reduce its industrial emissions at the Port of Guayaquil.

“Beyond port efficiency, the ICTSI Group has been making substantial investments to ensure an environmental-friendly supply chain, with the long-term vision of being able to secure appropriate certifications for all ports — regardless of location, project age, or stage of development,” ICTSI Senior VicePresident and Regional Head of the Americas Anders Kjeldsen said in the statement.

In the Philippines, ICTSI operates the Manila International Container Terminal, New Container Terminals 1 and 2 in Subic Bay and Cavite Gateway Terminal. It also operates terminals in several markets in Asia Pacific, Africa, Americas, Europe and Middle East.

In the nine months ending September 2018, ICTSI reported a 2.66% hike in its attributable net income at $153.29 million, driven by a 10% growth in revenues from port operations reaching $1 billion. —

ICTSI GUSTAVO MANRIQUE, Sambito SA president, and Evelyn Montalvan, Guayas provincial director of the Ministry of the Environment, gives the plaque of recognition to Jose Antonio Contreras, chief executive officer of Contecon Guayaquil as the first carbon-neutral port in the whole of Ecuador and Latin America.