Transforming the Port of Lavrio into a sustainable port model
SUBMITTED FROM:
ΤΑΜΕΙΟ ΑΞΙΟΠΟΙΗΣΗΣ ΙΔΙΩΤΙΚΗΣ ΠΕΡΙΟΥΣΙΑΣ ΤΟΥ ΔΗΜΟΣΙΟΥ
The Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund S.A. (HRADF) was established in 2011 according to its founding Law No. 3986/2011 with an initial mandate to leverage the State’s private property assigned to it by the Hellenic Republic. HRADF operates to serve the public interest, according to the rules of the private economy. The utilization development and utilization of public property are implemented in accordance with the prevailing market conditions and with guarantees of full transparency. HRADF adopts and implements the Asset Development Plan (ADP), which is reviewed every six months and is authorized by the Government Council for Economic Policy (KYSOIP).
HRADF’s philosophy is to act as a strategic partner for the Greek State to attract investments, enhance the Greek economy’s growth potential, strengthen its international credibility, and produce national wealth.
The Fund is a growth multiplier. Its mission is to maximize Hellenic Republic’s revenues by developing public assets and creating added value for the Greek economy, the people, investors, the local communities, the labor market, and the environment.
Objective Action
The goal of this initiative is to transform the Port of Lavrio into a model “sustainable” port by working with the community of stakeholders to develop ground-breaking innovation with positive economic, social and environmental impacts, while also promoting the contribution of the wider Lavrio region to the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Target Audience
Ports are complex enterprises that include many different entities – such as shipping and transport companies, etc. – and have a direct impact on the natural environment. They co-exist with the cities surrounding them and should not be regarded as autonomous commercial entities, but as an integral and interconnected part of their community, with the impact of their activities felt from the local community to the global shipping sector.
Therefore, the transformation of the Port of Lavrio into a model sustainable port has multiple benefits for both the organisation itself and the wider area of Lavrio, as well as for the national port sector, as it can serve as a “guide” for other ports in Greece and beyond. For many years, the Lavrio area was the site of intensive mining operations that have left their mark on the region's natural capital, and this renders the transition of the Port of Lavrio to sustainability even more important, given the area's great historical and cultural value.
This transformation concerns and must take into account the port's stakeholders – the mapping of whom was carried out in the context of this initiative and is summarised below – while also being in line with national and global goals for sustainable development, for the benefit of the local community and the natural environment.
Duration
The port’s transformation into a model sustainable inclusive port is a long-term process. The ultimate goal is to make the Port of Lavrio a port that promotes a fair and green transition, with zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Description
Recognising the need to confront the climate crisis and move towards an economic model of sustainable development, HRADF has made the strengthening of the sustainable performance of its assets – to the benefit of the local community and economy – one of its strategic goals. In this context, and taking into account that HRADF's portfolio includes, inter alia, several port authorities and a number of marinas throughout Greece, it was deemed advisable by HRADF's management to plan, in close cooperation with the Lavrio Port Authority, the transition of the port to a model green, innovative port that will serve as a guide for similar future actions at other ports in Greece.
The Port of Lavrio is a medium-sized port located in the Municipality of Lavreotiki in the Region of Attica, and it has been designated as one of the ports of national importance (Government Gazette, Series II, No 202/16-2-2007), assuming a substantial and supplementary role to the Port of Piraeus and the wider Attica Port system. It serves a wide range of activities, including coastal shipping, yachts, cruise ships, fishing, the commercial sector and land development. It is located in an area of high historical and cultural importance, the Lavreotiki area, which was the largest silver mining centre in both ancient and modern Greece. The mines and the general area are included in UNESCO's tentative list of World Heritage Sites. Close to the port is the "Lavreotiki Geopark", part of UNESCO's global geopark network. The port is managed by “Lavrio Port Authority S.A.”, and the Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund (HRADF) is the sole shareholder.
Taking into account the current global landscape, emerging trends and upcoming legislative requirements regarding sustainability, there is a unique opportunity for port authorities to reduce climate change-related risks and enhance the positive social impact of their operations: the potential to adopt a systems innovation approach that goes beyond compliance to redesign ports into organisations capable of transforming their wider geographical areas, supporting and enabling the innovation of many stakeholders to flourish, and providing inspiration for others.
In this initiative, EIT Climate-KIC's approach was used, which is based on the above principles and is called the “systems innovation” approach. Rather than focusing on delivering short-term results, it aims at a major change that will have ongoing results, turning entire value chains and geographical areas into a more sustainable paradigm.
Participatory processes for collaboration and co-creation between stakeholders are central, allowing all voices to be heard, with all parties relying on each other's views, skill and expertise.
Innovation has a holistic perspective, bearing in mind how it impacts other parts of the system, addressing multiple challenges simultaneously and taking place on many fronts (politics, technology, financing, citizen participation innovation, etc.).
Innovations and innovators are linked under an umbrella (“systems innovation portfolio”) and "speak" to each other, creating space for sharing knowledge about what works and what doesn’t. This increases efficiency, value for money, and speed.
The first steps in the “systems innovation” approach were implemented at the Port of Lavrio in early 2023, aiming at the holistic transformation of the region into a sustainable model (the “Green Port Lavrio Deep Demonstration” process). More specifically, the first phase of the “Green Port Lavrio Deep Demonstration” systems innovation program (Q1 2023) included the mapping of some 100 stakeholders operating in various sectors and at different ranges of scope (from local to international), which are/could be associated with/involved in the sustainable transformation of the Port of Lavrio and the surrounding area. The stakeholders were identified through a secondary data survey (from local media, projects carried out in the area) and through interviews carried out by the project team with local and national stakeholder organisations, and they were prioritized based on characteristics such as the “Level of power/influence” they have with regard to the port.
Set out below is the basic categorisation of mapped stakeholders, which could serve as a model for recognising stakeholders and other similar organisations active in the port industry sector:
CONTACT DETAILS Name, Surname, Title of position in the Organisation
TYPE OF ORGANISATION: Businesses, Local/Regional Administrations, National/European institutions, Non-profit organisations, Associations (citizen associations, Professional associations, Chambers, shipowner associations, etc.), Research Community/Universities, Trade Unions, Financial and Cultural Institutions, News Media
LEVEL Local, Regional, National, European, Global
MAIN PILLAR: Environmental, Social, Economic, Cultural
For the case of the Port of Lavrio, a brief categorisation of the recognised stakeholders based on their level of range is presented below. It is noted, however, that this is a dynamic process that must be updated regularly:
1. Stakeholders regularly operating in the Port of Lavrio:
Shipping companies (passenger, cargo)
Project Machinery Operators
Tourism/travel agencies
Employee unions
2. Stakeholders regularly operating in the surrounding area of the Port of Lavrio:
Local Authorities and Municipality of Lavreotiki
Regional Authorities
Public organisations providing services to citizens
Local businesses related to shipping and tourism
Organisations related to the management of the region’s Geopark (Lavreotiki Geopark)
Local community/Cultural and Sports associations/Local volunteer organisations
Universities/Research Institutes established in the region of Lavrio (e.g. Lavrio Technological and Cultural Park)
3. Nationally active stakeholders who interact with the Port of Lavrio
Ministries (such as the Ministry of Shipping and Island Policy, Ministry of Environment and Energy, etc.)
Greek universities active in the ports/shipping sector
NGOs and institutions focused on marine environment protection and social cohesion
In addition, separate meetings and structured interviews with key stakeholders, such as the management of the Lavrio Port Authority and the Mayor of Lavreotiki, were planned and carried by the project team, while briefings were held with the Ministry of Shipping and Island Policy. These actions led, through the analysis and synthesis of the information provided, to the formulation of an initial “common vision” that will serve as the basis for further consultation with stakeholders at a subsequent stage, reflecting the goal of transforming the Port of Lavrio into a sustainable, thriving, smart port that provides high-quality services and partners with the local community to enable fair transition and multi-stakeholder innovation to flourish.
At the following link there are high-level descriptions of the various stages of the long-term process of transforming the port into a model of sustainable operation:
Furthermore, the project explored and mapped potential for funding from national and European public and private sources for actions that would support the sustainable transformation of the port.
Finally, in cooperation with the research centre "ATHENA", a benchmark system of the HRADF ESG Rating tool was developed based on international data, as well its KPIs were corresponded to the goals and subgoals of the UN SDGs.
Initiative Location
This initiative is being implemented at the Port of Lavrio, but its results favour the wider Lavreotiki region and can be utilised by any other port that wants to adopt sustainable corporate practices. Furthermore, in order to maximise the benefits of this initiative, the results of the case study of the Port of Lavrio have been put into the form of a manual with guidelines on initial steps an organisation can take to enhance its transition to sustainability through a systems innovation approach that includes all stakeholders.
The sustainable transformation of the Port of Lavrio is a long-term vision that covers all pillars of sustainability and requires the continuous active participation and cooperation of international and national agencies, local businesses, associations, civil society, etc. In the initial stages of this initiative, HRADF collaborated with:
EIT Climate-KIC, which is the European Knowledge and Innovation Community on Climate and which works towards a prosperous, climate-resilient and inclusive society, based on circular and zero-carbon economy. It was established by the European Institute of Innovation & Technology (EIT), the European body that promotes innovation in multiple fields related to the global challenges of our time.
Athena Research Center (Athena RC), which focuses on multidisciplinary systems research and the provision of innovative solutions for the transition to a green, digital and fair future, participating in cutting-edge research to enable the transition to resilience and sustainability, through the implementation of the UN 2030 Agenda (17 SDGs), the Paris Agreement and the European Green Deal.
The Lavrio Port Authority, the operational planning of which includes many social and environmental priorities
Numerous people from different organisations worked together closely and intensively on this initiative, including personnel of HRADF, Lavrio Port Authority, EIT Climate KIC, Athens Research Center, the Mayor and other representatives of the Municipality of Lavreotiki.
The resulting benefits of this initiative are not limited to the specific port, but generally favour the transition of other ports to sustainability, given that the deliverable has been set out in the form of guidelines to be distributed by HRADF to all the ports in its portfolio and to partner ports beyond its portfolio.
More specifically, some of the benefits are set out below:
Simultaneous collaboration on all 3 sustainability pillars (economic, social, environmental), in close collaboration with the stakeholder value chain and the local community, ensuring consideration of different perspectives that will lead to co-planned actions that can bring benefits to all parties.
The systems innovation approach will help them continuously absorb future shocks (risk reduction) by increasing adaptability and flexibility in the face of unforeseen conditions and multiple challenges (e.g. biodiversity protection, energy poverty, etc.).
Developing a portfolio of connected investment actions that leads to faster and more efficient transition.
Shaping of a new role for ports, with increased responsibility for the prosperity of their local community and wider region, supporting and enabling the fostering of innovation by many organisations.
Finally, it should be noted that through this initiative, and having developed a vibrant dialogue with stakeholders, the port participated in/co-organised parallel actions to support the goal of sustainable development, including, for example, the Climathon of the local Municipality and the programme for establishing Energy Communities from the European Commission's Energy Communities Repository, in partnership with other organisations.
