Going beyond green rhetoric to turn ecological transition into an industrial lever capable of reshaping the balance of power in the Mediterranean. This is the strategic political message launched this morning from Livorno’s Old Fortress, where the North Tyrrhenian Port Network Authority assessed the first 10 months of GreenMedPorts, one of the key Interreg NEXT MED projects, coordinated by the Port Network Authority (PNA), involving institutions and research centres from six Mediterranean countries, in particular Algeria.
In the Ferretti Conference Hall, experts and institutions discussed an ecological transition which, now more than ever, has to reckon with unprecedented geopolitical risks.
The analysis is based on complex data: according to UNCTAD, transits through the Suez Canal in 2025 were 70% less than in 2023. The Red Sea crises and the threats to the Strait of Hormuz have shattered old, linear certainties, forcing ships to take longer routes and face record insurance costs.
At a time when shipping routes are facing growing tensions and uncertainties, sustainability takes on a broader meaning. It is not just about cutting emissions, it’s also about making systems more efficient, more self-sufficient and less dependent on external factors.
In such a scenario, “ports can no longer limit themselves to simply handling traffic. They have to become resilience platforms, capable of adapting, offering solutions and ensuring operational continuity even in uncertain conditions,” explained Antonella Querci, Head of Development & Innovation at the Port Network Authority, at the opening of the conference, pointing out that a resilient port is also more competitive.
From this perspective, “GreenMedPorts is not an environmental project in the strict sense,” she said, adding that “its value lies in its ability to integrate environmental standards, performance certifications (such as the Green Label Port) and cooperation between geographically distant ports.”
Acccording to the PNA senior executive, it is precisely this integration that transforms GreenMedPorts into something more than just a project: “It makes it a genuine intangible infrastructure, capable of shaping, over time, the way in which logistics chains are organized in the Mediterranean.” Because, looking ahead, “whoever is able to define common standards, produce reliable data and build recognized certification systems will also be able to guide operators’ choices and, therefore, manage flows.”.
At a time when the Mediterranean has become a fragile region, exposed to geopolitical tensions and dynamics that directly affect the organization of shipping routes, the issue of Mediterranean green corridors becomes particularly significant. “These are not simply lower-emission routes,” explained Antonella Querci, “but new economic, industrial infrastructures that bring together three key factors: energy, environment and commerce.” With this in mind, the PNA’s Head of Innovation & Development pointed out that the Mediterranean has to make a very simple choice: “either it manages to set up green corridors that link its two shores, reducing disparities and facilitating a common transition, or it risks exacerbating the differences between ports that manage to position themselves inside these new networks and those that remain excluded from them”.
In this context, the introduction of the ETS scheme in maritime transport represents a significant step forward. Although the introduction of a price on CO2 sends a strong economic signal, a very clear warning emerged from the conference: the ETS is a pricing policy, not an industrial one. Without real investment in alternative fuels and infrastructure, the tax burden alone risks producing a ‘boomerang effect’, shifting traffic to less regulated non-EU ports and damaging the competitiveness of Mediterranean ones.
Luca Brandimarte (Assarmatori) spoke about the regulatory challenges, confirming that the review of the ETS system is now in its final stages: “The Commission’s proposal is expected by July,” he announced, whilst highlighting the critical issues surrounding a mechanism that risks penalizing the most vulnerable sectors, such as transhipment, Motorways of the Sea and island connections.
At the same time, the issue of cold ironing remains a key concern. Whilst the North Tyrrhenian ports will soon be ready for the electrification of their quays, Mr. Brandimarte is calling for progress on regulations and tariffs. “The structural results are tangible,” he explained, “but we now need ministerial circulars to refine governance and a tariff solution which, in compliance with state aid rules, guarantees exemptions from system charges.”
What is clear is that the challenge of the future hinges on integration. With the support of international regulatory frameworks such as the IMO’s Net-Zero Framework 2025, eco-transition has become the cornerstone of global maritime governance. During the conference it was reiterated that GreenMedPorts intends to be the driving force behind transforming the Mediterranean from a geographical barrier into an integrated logistics platform, where sustainability and the market move at the same pace.
This ambition is shared by the academic world, as highlighted by Daniele Melideo (DESTEC – University of Pisa). “Our research focuses on hydrogen, a cornerstone of the European CleanH2Shipping project for the decarbonization of shipping,” he explained, delivering a presentation in which he stressed the necessity to standardise solutions: “We have to harmonize best practices so that innovations developed for specific contexts can be scaled up. GreenMedPorts is crucial precisely because it enables knowledge to be shared and helps overcome the regulatory hurdles that still divide nations.”
The issue of scalability is also central to Debora Zrinscak from ARTES 4.0, a leading centre of expertise in advanced robotics: “Our work involves bringing together stakeholders, research centres and public bodies to accelerate technological development and make it accessible to the entire system,” she said.
Commander Gennaro Fusco from Livorno Harbour Authority also spoke in support of the initiative, highlighting the importance of connecting heterogeneous port communities: “We strongly support the Port Authority’s commitment to promoting alternative fuels and reducing emissions in the port. A practical example is cold ironing, a technology in which partners such as Malta have already gained cutting-edge experience in the cruise sector that can be used as a model,” he said.
The message that emerged from the conference is clear: green transition cannot be passively accepted as a mere regulatory obligation or a market variable. “Network Authorities have to actively take on a leading role, capable of steering processes to benefit their regional areas,” said Antonella Querci closing the debate. “It is only by integrating data, energy and cooperation that the Mediterranean will be able to complete its evolution, becoming a global, sustainable and truly competitive logistics hub.”
Translation by Giles Foster
