Climate Resilience in Ports: From Risk Assessment to Action

At Green Shipping Day 2026, held in Nice on 23 September, Green Marine Europe dedicated a workshop to an issue that is becoming increasingly important in port strategies: the resilience of ports and their infrastructure to climate change.

Ports, industrial stakeholders, solution providers and experts shared their experiences around a common question: how can ports move from identifying vulnerabilities to developing adaptation strategies that effectively address climate risks while ensuring the continuity of port operations?

Practical Approaches Already Underway in European Ports

Four case studies illustrated the range of approaches being developed.

Louise Souquet, from We Right Click, presented the European project SAFARI – Safe, ClimAte Resilient Infrastructure, which is developing a digital platform to assess vulnerabilities and improve emergency management. Tested in several European ports, the platform uses digital twin technologies, among other tools, to anticipate the impacts of extreme weather events.

The Port of La Rochelle has carried out several successive studies since 2021, starting with an assessment of its exposure and infrastructure vulnerabilities in cooperation with CEREMA, followed by the modelling of coastal flooding scenarios. Since 2026, the port has also been assessing the financial impacts associated with physical climate risks. This work involves the wider port and urban community, with the aim of sharing knowledge and raising awareness among stakeholders.

At the Port of Hamburg, resilience was addressed from the perspective of the energy transition, through the development of onshore power supply and European initiatives focusing on hydrogen-based fuels, methanol, ammonia and the electrification of logistics chains.

Finally, the Port of Bilbao presented several projects combining energy transition and biodiversity: onshore power supply infrastructure, wind and solar power generation, as well as solutions designed to create marine habitats. These include floating islands, biodiversity-friendly concrete and biomimetic micro-reefs, all designed to be integrated into the port's operational activities.

Environmental Resilience and Competitiveness: Finding the Right Balance

The discussions also highlighted a central question: to what extent can current port business models accommodate the changes required for climate adaptation?

Participants expressed different views. Some experiences show that resilience initiatives can already be implemented within existing frameworks. Others point to the need for deeper changes in port practices, investment strategies and organisation.

The relationship between environmental performance, resilience and competitiveness was also a key topic of discussion. While adaptation costs remain a major challenge, some measures can deliver both environmental and economic benefits, particularly when they improve operational efficiency or reduce certain costs.

Data, Cooperation and Crisis Preparedness: Three Shared Priorities

The final part of the workshop involved participants in crisis management exercises covering several climate-related risks: flooding, heatwaves, sea-level rise, storms and coastal erosion.

Despite the diversity of these scenarios, three priorities consistently emerged: strengthening cooperation between ports, public authorities, local stakeholders and the research community; improving data collection, monitoring and use; and developing crisis management plans supported by regular exercises and staff awareness initiatives.

The proposed responses varied depending on the risks involved: vulnerability mapping, improved early warning systems, adaptation of infrastructure and working conditions during heatwaves, mobile flood protection systems, nature-based solutions, and agreements between ports to ensure operational continuity during crises.

One key lesson emerged from the discussions: port resilience cannot rely on a single solution. It requires a combination of risk assessment, investment, operational preparedness and cooperation at local and regional levels.

As climate-related events are expected to have an increasing impact on infrastructure and logistics chains, the challenge is no longer simply to anticipate disruptions. It is to build ports that can adapt, maintain their essential functions and integrate resilience into their long-term environmental improvement strategies.

Pictures : Sam Glazier