Green Marine lays the foundation for its new global structure
Green Marine International is the newly formed corporation and governance structure overseeing the Green Marine and Green Marine Europe environmental certification programs, the maritime industry’s voluntary initiatives to advance environmental excellence beyond regulations globally.
All Green Marine and Green Marine Europe participants are now Green Marine International members. Their respective certification requirements remain unchanged.
“It’s truly a momentous time in Green Marine’s history with this unique certification program that started out in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence region 17 years ago now extending across North America and merging across the Atlantic and beyond,” says Green Marine International’s President David Bolduc. “This new governance arrangement maintains the same commitment, rigour and transparency that has established Green Marine’s solid reputation and made Green Marine Europe’s launch four years ago a definite success.”
This new structure was the next logical step given the strong synergies between the programs, and Surfrider Foundation Europe’s licensing agreement to manage Green Marine Europe coming to an end this year.
“I am so proud of Surfrider Foundation Europe’s stewardship in establishing the Green Marine Europe certification in collaboration with Green Marine and the European shipping industry over the past four years,” says Florent Marcoux, Executive Director of Surfrider Foundation Europe. “I am confident that the new international structure will provide a governance framework that ensures the key elements that initially drew us to Green Marine – namely, the continual improvement and engagement with stakeholders – remain the program’s cornerstones as the number of certified participants continues to increase.”
Surfrider Foundation will actively support Green Marine International after the full transition to the new governance by taking part in the committees involved the program’s continual review and development.
At Green Marine International’s first Annual General Meeting held on May 23, 2024, nine of the new board’s twelve directors were appointed:
- Jan Allman, Fincantieri Marine Group’s Vice-President and General Manager
- Björn Bijma, the CSL Group’s Executive Operations Officer
- Isabelle Brassard, Fednav Ltd.’s Executive Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer
- Claudine Couture-Trudel, QSL’s Vice-President ESG Policy and Future Initiatives
- Daniel Dagenais, Transport Nanuk Inc. and NEAS Group Inc.’s President and CEO
- Deborah DeLuca, the Duluth Seaway Port Authority’s Executive Director
- Steve Nevey, Assistant Secretary for Washington State Ferries
- Sean Pierce, Logistec’s CEO
- Stephanie Jones Stebbins, Managing Director, Maritime at the Port of Seattle
Upon Green Marine Europe’s incorporation in France, the three European directors will be appointed to the board of Green Marine International by the European membership.
“With Green Marine International, the organization is responding to requests from new maritime enterprises to become certified,” Bolduc says. “Green Marine International has a pilot project to include European ports in the program, as well as pilot projects to determine how the program might need to be adjusted to take into account specific regulations governing maritime operations in Australia and Latin America.”
Green Marine overview
Founded in 2007, the Green Marine environmental certification program is the result of a voluntary effort by the shipping industry in North America to go beyond regulations. More than 185 ship owners, ports, terminals, and shipyards throughout Canada and the United States are currently participating in the program. Launched in 2020, Green Marine Europe currently has 26 ship owners, representing a large and diverse maritime fleet of more than 500 vessels, and three major shipyards in the program. Incorporated in May 2024, Green Marine International is the governance structure overseeing both environmental certification programs.