Belém, 19 November 2025 – The Western Ligurian Sea Port Authority was invited by the Italian Ministry of Environment and Energy Security to speak at an event, dedicated to Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) applied to infrastructure and climate resilience, held at the official Italian Pavilion of the 30th UN Conference of the Parties on Climate Change (COP 30), this year hosted in the Amazonian city of Belem.
High on the agenda of the panel discussions organised by the Italian government delegation, with the on-site participation of the Minister of Environment and Energy Security, Gilberto Pichetto Fratin, included the concept of major public infrastructure – ports, energy, transport, water – as catalysts for a clean energy transition. Within this framework, the Nature-Based Solutions -Innovation Accelerator (NbS-IA) project, a set of finance mechanisms proposed by the Italian Ministry and the UN Environmental Programme, was presented to promote the application of NbS to enhance climate resilience, with a geographical focus on infrastructure in Central Asia and Africa.
Thanks to the invitation extended by the Italian Ministry of Environment and UNEP, the Ports of Genoa-Savona-Vado is the first Italian port to have officially attended the UN Climate Summit. Drawing upon its past and current experience in addressing the challenges posed by Italy’s premier port – a high energy intensive industry – the Western Ligurian Sea Port Authority outlined a selection of case studies as models for best practice which can be replicated in other international contexts. With this contribution, the Ports of Genoa fully upholds the goals of COP 30 to transform major infrastructure facilities, which are undeniably the backbone of economies in delivering essential services, simultaneously into catalysts for sustainable economic growth, employment and resilience.
“Italy is firmly committed to including infrastructure amongst the projects eligible for international financial mechanisms unlocking funding to assist countries in mitigating and adapting to climate change, and the platform that we have presented today stems from this objective,” stated Minister Gilberto Pichetto Fratin. “It has been an honour to have hosted the Port of Genoa, which is positioning itself as a sustainable energy hub, whilst consolidating its role as Italian maritime gateway to the European markets. Working with the African ports will provide the Italian ports with the opportunity to boost trade links. This strategy, in support of the development of Africa, is an integral part of the Mattei Plan for Africa..”
“To have been invited to take actively part in the COP 30 Italian Initiative on sustainable infrastructure and climate resilience, here in the heart of the Amazonian city of Belém, is a huge recognition for Italy’s premier Port of Genoa and Savona-Vado”, declared the Port Authority President Matteo Paroli. “I wish to convey my sincere thanks to Minister Gilberto Pichetto Fratin and the Ministry of Environment and Energy Security, specifically to the Director General Alessandro Guerri, for having offered us this opportunity. We have shown that a major port, both in terms of size and volumes, can at the same time be both a catalyst for economic growth and a test hub for the clean energy transition and mitigation of climate change, thanks to green shipping fuel, advanced digital technologies and Nature-Based Solutions integrated in our infrastructure facilities. Our ports are also designated sites for research on global gas emissions, testing a range of solutions on our energy-intensive activities, with the overall objective of reducing the environment impact of port operations. We strongly believe that we can consolidate our role as a model for best practices in the mitigation of the impact of port activities upon the surrounding urban fabric.”.
In his presentation, President Matteo Paroli illustrated the environmental policy pursued by the Port Authority which invests in building a sustainable, resilient and low-emission port, whilst simultaneously reconciling growth in traffic volumes with social responsibility. The clean energy transition underway at the Ports of Genoa and Savona-Vado include new Onshore Power Supply facilities , a shift to renewable fuels such as solar energy, the installation of smart grids for the storage and distribution of renewable energy, research on the deployment of alternative fuel infrastructure for the provision of LNG, hydrogen and ammonia, and on carbon capture technologies. Another key driver behind this transition are sizable investments in digitalisation, advanced environmental monitoring devices and AI deployed in wireless underwater monitoring and surveillance.
