In 2025, the Greater Victoria Harbour Authority improved our Green Marine Certification, raising it from 3.8 to 4.1.
What is Green Marine?
Green Marine is a voluntary initiative that helps the maritime industry improve its environmental performance beyond regulatory requirements. Green Marine targets key environmental issues related to biodiversity protection, air, water and soil quality, and community relations. The program is for Ship Owners, Ports and Seaways, Terminals, and Shipyards. There are 19 indicators in total but only nine are applicable to ports.
The certification process
For each applicable performance indicator, a participant must evaluate its environmental performance on a 1-to-5 scale using the self-evaluation guide development by Green Marine. Every two years, the participant must submit the results to an external verifier accredited by Green Marine. The verification process is done in person on the company’s premises. It is carried out based on the documentation provided by the participant in support/justification of the self-evaluation.
As of the very first year in the program, a participant must achieve Level 2 for at least one of the performance indicators. Thereafter, the participant must demonstrate a yearly improvement of one level for at least one performance indicator until Level 2 is achieved for all the applicable performance indicators.
Sustainability Manager Rowan Benning receiving GVHA’s 2025 Green Marine Certification from David Bolduc – President and CEO of Green Marine
2025 verification
GVHA has been part of the Green Marine program since 2011 and has steadily increased their score over the years for the Breakwater District at Ogden Point. Last week, on Thursday June 11, during the GreenTech Conference organized by Green Marine, GVHA received their results and new certification.
The increase for the aquatic ecosystems indicator is due to reporting on this indicator being voluntary in 2023, and at that time, it was decided not to report. In 2025, this indicator was obligatory, and GVHA was able to score 3 out 5. The underwater noise indicator score increased due to the development of an Underwater Noise Monitoring and Management Plan (UNMMP) in 2025.
With a new average score of 4.1, GVHA improved by an average of 0.3 (or 8 per cent). GVHA is a leader in Green Marine as the average score of program participants is 3.1. The ports are the group of participants with the highest overall average, at 3.3. Encouragingly, there was an average of 1.2 net average improvement per participant.
With the recently published Sustainability Plan, GVHA plans to increase their score even further.
GreenTech Conference in Victoria
Sustainability Manager Rowan Benning had the opportunity at the GreenTech conference, organized last week to announce the location for the 2027 Conference, which will be in Victoria from June 8 to 10. GVHA put together a prize package with local companies to get people excited about next year’s event. Thank you Eagle Wing Tours, the Butchart Gardens and Pacific Northwest Transportation Services for contributing to this. The price was won by Joshua Ostrander from the Port of Albany (USA).
Rowan Benning acknowledging Joshua Ostrander, GVHA prize recipient.
GVHA is very excited work together with Green Marine on next years conference program, showcasing local projects and initiatives and are excited to welcome ports, ships owners, terminal operators and shipyards from around North America to Victoria.
Local organizations
GVHA is not the only business in the Greater Victoria Area that is Green Marine certified. BC Ferries, SSA Marine, Seaspan Shipyards and Point Hope Maritime are examples of some the local participants. For more information on local participants and the Green Marine program, visit Home | Green Marine.