2. THE INTRODUCTION OF THE ECOSLC TOOLS SUSTAINABLE PORT POLICY SELF DIAGNOSIS METHOD In the SuPorts project a new Tool was developed and evaluated in the workshops during topics related to Sustainable Ports Tools. The Tool is based on good practice experience of a number of ports and port-related organisations who have developed their own sustainable port policies and who have put them into practice. These include ports, ministries, regional governments and city governments. The Tool was developed to structure discussions in workshops with local port’s representatives in the relatively new field of sustainable port strategy and policy. The Tool was evaluated and validated in workshops in France, Italy, Spain and the UK. The structured feedback received was very positive. By using the Tool a discussion about what is sustainability, sustainable port management and a sustainable port strategy was well-structured. Participants felt confident to deliver their own views and in this way started building their own sustainable port policy. It was important to recognize that
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each port is different, and that the introduction of a European standard to specific port adapted approach would be well appreciated. Specific circumstances, stakeholders, large companies with a high influence on the very existence of the port or local policies require customized measures. It was interesting to note that most participants thought that the good practices shown in the first draft of the Tool were dedicated to large ports and not to local ports. After in depth discussions this view was however modified; most solutions can be seen as new standards that can be applied to small and medium sized ports as well but after adapting them to the scale of these ports.