GREEN BAY: the European environmental reference framework for passenger terminals takes a new step towards the international stage

The GREEN BAY initiative, led by the Var Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI), is taking a new step. Working groups open to every European port are being set up by AFNOR and CEN (the European Committee for Standardization). The stated goal: to draw up a European environmental reference framework, in the form of a CEN Workshop Agreement (CWA), for ports that welcome passengers.

As the impacts of climate change accelerate (rising sea levels, extreme weather events), coastal and port areas are on the front line. European and international regulations already exist, but the lack of truly harmonised guidelines keeps practices uneven and makes them hard to apply in the field. At a time when environmental responsibility adds to the economic and societal responsibilities ports already carry, the GREEN BAY approach comes at the right moment.

The expected CWA is to offer operational recommendations to tackle local nuisances (air quality, water pollution), improve waste management and, more broadly, structure the environmental performance of passenger terminals. By setting a common language and shared practices, the document aims to reduce inefficiencies, prevent non-compliance and support alignment with the European Union’s objectives. The outcome: a clear roadmap to speed up the ecological transition of the maritime sector across the continent.

In practice

• What? Launch of a CEN Workshop for a European environmental reference framework for passenger terminals (GREEN BAY initiative).
• When? Friday 3 October 2025, 9 am to 12 pm (CEST).
• Where? At AFNOR’s headquarters in Saint-Denis (Paris), and online.
• How to take part? By contacting the workshop secretary.

Why GREEN BAY

The ecological transition is a major issue for ports, and it calls for concrete solutions suited to operational realities. This is why the GREEN BAY environmental reference framework was developed at the French level, with and for the operators of terminals that welcome passengers (ferries, cruises, river traffic). Tested with the pilot port of Toulon and supported by several French and European ports, GREEN BAY offers a clear, practical framework to structure actions and progress towards environmental excellence.

GREEN BAY is:

• a reference framework published by AFNOR: AFNOR SPEC 2407;
• a comprehensive, measurable approach, with 25 concrete criteria;
• a policy of transparency, with results communicated every year;
• an environmental certification, with a process of independent audits from 2026.

Source: Ports de Toulon-La Seyne, 15 September 2025 (in French).