For the first time in its 18-year history, this June the GreenTech Conference — the leading sustainability event for North America’s maritime industry — was held on the Gulf Coast, with New Orleans playing host.
This milestone came after a sustained effort by Port NOLA leadership to bring the event to the region.
“I started advocating to bring GreenTech here two years ago at the GreenTech Conference in Seattle,” said Emily Federer, director of sustainable development at the Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA). “When I gave the closing speech last year at the conference in Halifax, I was proud to officially announce New Orleans as the 2025 host city.”
Over 200 delegates attended this year’s conference at the Hilton Riverside New Orleans, with more than 50 speakers and a dozen exhibitors participating. The conference featured guided tours of local sustainable port initiatives and showcased new technologies and operational practices.
Federer emphasized what the event meant for the city, noting, “It was an incredible opportunity for New Orleans to showcase its leadership in sustainable maritime practices.”
What Is Green Marine?
The decision to bring GreenTech to New Orleans was intentional. The port’s growing leadership in sustainability — anchored by its long-standing participation in the Green Marine certification program — played a major role in the city being chosen to host the event.
Green Marine, the nonprofit organization behind the GreenTech Conference, evaluates and certifies maritime companies — including ports, terminals, shipyards and vessel operators — on a wide range of environmental performance indicators including their air emissions, effect on aquatic ecosystems, underwater noise, waste management and spill prevention. Since its founding in 2007, the program has expanded far beyond its original focus on the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence region, eventually reaching ports and operators across North America and Europe. That global expansion led to the formation of Green Marine International in 2024.
“The decision to hold GreenTech in New Orleans connects with membership growth in the southern U.S., the engagement of Port NOLA as a committed participant, and the city’s strategic role as a major maritime hub,” explained David Bolduc, president and CEO of Green Marine International. “Hosting the event in New Orleans highlights regional progress and the importance of Gulf Coast maritime operations.”
Port NOLA’s Leadership and Certification
Since joining Green Marine in 2014 and earning certification in 2015, Port NOLA has steadily advanced its scores, helping set a regional example for sustainable port operations.
Participants score themselves annually on a scale of 1 to 5 in each category, and every two years, Green Marine conducts a third-party audit.
“Our last audit was in 2024, with the most recent self-assessment completed in March 2025,” said Federer. “To maintain certification, you must score at least a level 2 in every category. But it’s not static — Green Marine raises the bar each year,” she added. “That continuous improvement model is a big part of what makes the certification so meaningful.”
Bolduc noted that the certification system is designed to encourage the industry to produce measurable outcomes favorable to the environment and the communities in which they operate.
“Environmentally, participants have demonstrated continual and measurable improvement, with 2024 performance averaging 2.9 on a 1-to-5 scale—sustained despite stricter criteria and a growing participant base. Indicators show a steady upward trend, with an 18% rise in reported performance indicators in 2024 compared to 2023.”
To ensure credibility, Green Marine developed criteria tailored to the maritime industry’s different segments.
“The program criteria are specific to various types of operations — shipping companies, ports, terminals and shipyards,” Bolduc said. “The number of performance indicators grew from six at launch to 15 in 2025. The scope now includes community relations, aquatic invasive species and underwater noise.”
Technology and Certification
Technology plays a central role in helping ports and terminals meet, and exceed, Green Marine standards. Certified organizations must adopt technologies that monitor and reduce emissions, waste and other impacts.
“In the air emissions category, we’re currently at level 3, which means we’ve done a full inventory of our direct greenhouse gas emissions,” explained Federer. “We’re now working to expand our tracking to include Scope 2 and Scope 3 emissions — including things like procurement.”
Reaching higher levels often involves deploying fuel tracking systems, shore power infrastructure, hybrid or electric cargo equipment, and energy-efficient lighting and buildings. In areas like spill prevention, ports are encouraged to install leak detection systems and double-walled piping.
Advancing through the Green Marine levels typically requires integration of environmental management systems, predictive analytics and clean tech upgrades.
Bolduc emphasized that Green Marine has helped build public trust in the maritime industry.
“The program fosters transparency — mandatory public result reporting — and better communication of actions taken, strengthening trust and social acceptance in surrounding communities,” he said.
Terminal Operators at Port NOLA
Port NOLA isn’t the only participant in the Green Marine program. Several of its key terminal operators have also committed to certification and continuous improvement — most notably, Ports America and New Orleans Terminal.
Ports America
Ports America, one of the largest terminal operators in the country, holds a multi-decade lease on Port NOLA’s Napoleon Avenue and Nashville Avenue terminals. The company first earned Green Marine certification at its Baltimore location in 2022 before adding its New Orleans site.
“Ports America New Orleans has been certified since 2023 and is one of our flagship locations in terms of performance indicators,” said Kelli Hardesty, director of environment and sustainability at Ports America. Hardesty oversees environmental strategy across all of the company’s U.S. operations.
“Our GM-certified sites vary in operations — auto, container, cruise — so applying a tech innovation across the board can be challenging,” she said. “However, we evaluate each indicator and look for ways to apply a corporate-level approach. If sites meet Level 2 for a criterion, corporate initiatives can help elevate them to Level 3.”
That strategy has helped Ports America rapidly expand its participation in the Green Marine program.
“Ports America added six certified sites in 2023, nine in 2024, and five more this year, bringing our total to 21,” said Hardesty. “We challenge all certified sites to go beyond the baseline and strive for the higher levels.”
New Orleans Terminal
New Orleans Terminal has also made the Green Marine program a cornerstone of its environmental strategy. The company earned its certification in 2017 and has used the program to structure and strengthen its sustainability efforts.
“While Green Marine certification wasn’t pursued as a competitive advantage, it has become an essential part of New Orleans Terminal’s commitment to environmental responsibility,” said Kristopher Calkins, CEO of New Orleans Terminal, LLC. “The process provides a structured way to evaluate and improve operations and has deepened our engagement with environmental education both internally and with industry partners.”
Calkins emphasized the broader impact of those efforts.
“By adopting higher environmental standards, New Orleans Terminal contributes to a cleaner, more sustainable port ecosystem,” he said. “These efforts not only reduce our environmental footprint but also encourage a ripple effect throughout the regional maritime and logistics community.”
The company also collaborates regularly with Port NOLA to ensure consistency in environmental practices.
“Ongoing collaboration allows both organizations to share knowledge and improve daily practices,” said Calkins.
Broader Strategy and Collaboration
For Port NOLA and its terminal partners, Green Marine certification is just one element of a broader, long-term commitment to sustainable development.
“We’re also enrolled in the Envision program through the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure, which is like LEED but for civil infrastructure,” said Federer. “It helps us embed sustainable thinking into our planning and project delivery from the ground up.”
That shared focus has also deepened collaboration between Port NOLA and certified terminal operators.
“Being Green Marine certified in New Orleans, along with Port NOLA, has strengthened our relationship,” said Hardesty. “We share environmental goals, collaborate regularly, and support each other within and beyond the Green Marine framework.”
Another example of Port NOLA’s environmental work is its Clean TRIP program. Launched in 2016, the Clean Truck Replacement Incentive Program (Clean TRIP) offers rebates to truck and fleet owners who replace aging diesel trucks with cleaner-burning models that meet EPA standards.
To date, more than 100 short-haul drayage trucks have been replaced, reducing fine particulate emissions by 96% — equal to taking 116,000 cars off the road. Carbon dioxide emissions dropped by 870 tons per year, and nitrogen oxide emissions were reduced by 91%.
“Our Clean TRIP program has helped us achieve progress in multiple Green Marine categories,” said Federer.
The program has been supported by $6.25 million in funding, including EPA Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) grants, Louisiana DEQ funding, and matching funds from the port.
“There aren’t any commercially available electric Class 8 trucks yet, but we’re closely following that technology,” said Federer. “In the meantime, we’ve secured additional funding to replace another six trucks in 2026.”
Kelly Hite is the associate news editor for Biz New Orleans, responsible for delivering daily business news on BizNewOrleans.com, focusing on developments that impact the greater New Orleans area and southeast Louisiana. She may be reached via email at KellyH@BizNewOrleans.com.
