On June 17, 2024, the Atlantic Action Plan organized a joint National Event for Pillar I and Pillar IV in Vigo, Spain. This event served as a prelude to the Green Energy Ports Conference, held in Vigo on June 18-19, 2024, where coordinators and task force members from both pillars, along with the Spanish National Hub, participated in various roundtable sessions. The event ran from 17:00 to 19:00 and included a cocktail reception and a site visit to the Submarine Pontoon Nautilus for attendees. It was held in person and streamed online via WebEx.
The key themes of the event were the Decarbonisation and Green Infrastructures for Ports and Vessels, Sustainable Transport and Ports (Pillar I), and Coastal Resilience & Healthy Ocean (Pillar IV). The event showcased the progress made by Pillar I and Pillar IV of the Atlantic Action Plan, highlighting key achievements and gathering future steps and suggestions through a participatory approach using the Mentimeter tool.
Pillar I: Ports as Gateway
s and Hubs for the Blue Economy
Led by Mr. Carlos Botana (President of the Port Authority of Vigo) and Gerardo González (Port Authority of Vigo), Pillar I discussions focused on how ports can act as gateways and hubs for the energy transition. Emphasis was placed on potential energy sources and prototypes guiding ports in this transition.
Pillar IV: Coastal Resilience & Healthy Ocean
Led by Mr. Phil Monbet (Director of Pole Mer Bretagne Atlantique), Pillar IV explored how Green Deal initiatives and other ocean and coastal environmental actions can better monitor and define efforts to help achieve the EU mission to “Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030”.
This event successfully presented the advancements and strategic directions of the Atlantic Action Plan's Pillar I and IV, emphasizing the importance of sustainable transport, port infrastructure, coastal resilience, and ocean health. It facilitated significant discussions on the future of the Atlantic region's blue economy and environmental sustainability.