Surrounded by its primary partner, Destination Quebec City, the Port of Quebec announces the obtaining of Biosphere certification and thus becomes the first port in America to obtain this globally recognized sustainable development certification. In doing so, the Port of Quebec reaffirms its firm commitment and vision in terms of ESGDD development [1] , joining the largest international community of companies focused on these same objectives.
Biosphere is the international sustainability management and certification system of the Responsible Tourism Institute , one of the founding organizations of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC). For over 25 years, the Biosphere program has helped destinations, businesses and organizations define, organize and make visible their sustainable goals. It offers a model for developing a sustainable development plan in a personalized way, including an annual evaluation process and external audits to measure the progress made.
This announcement set the tone for this fifth edition of the Forum on international cruises, organized jointly by the Port of Quebec and by Destination Québec cite, which brings together representatives of the tourism sector, stakeholders from the maritime community and citizen groups to work towards intelligent development of the cruise industry. The program included collaborative workshops between participants, with the aim of thinking about new ideas and avenues of action for the 2024 season.
“It is a great pride for us to be the first Biosphere certified port in America and it is a real pleasure to be able to announce it during an event like the Forum, which focuses on consultation between partners and on community participation to achieve sustainability goals. Quebec already represents a unique model as a destination mobilized for good practices in international cruises and this certification will allow us to implement our sustainable tourism action plan specific to cruises and to plan our efforts according to sustainable development objectives (SDG) of the United Nations. For us, obtaining this certification was a priority that fit perfectly into our Vision 2035, one of the main pillars of which is to commit to a more sustainable world. », underlines the president and CEO of the Port of Quebec, Mario Girard.
“I would like to congratulate the Port of Quebec for obtaining its Biosphere certification, a major step that reflects our common commitment to more sustainable and responsible tourism,” said Robert Mercure , general director of Destination Québec cité.
“It is with pride that we celebrate the historic feat of the Port of Quebec as the first cruise port in the Americas to obtain Biosphere certification. Their unwavering commitment to sustainable maritime practices sets an inspiring precedent for the industry. This milestone highlights their deep commitment to the environment and responsible tourism, aligned with the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals and the 2030 Agenda. We congratulate the dedicated employees whose collective efforts have been instrumental in bringing this to fruition. this important achievement,” said Brent Mainprize, Managing Director of Biosphere in Canada.
Electrification of ships at dock
The Port took the opportunity to reaffirm its desire to accelerate the process for the electrification of ships at dock. For more than a year, efforts have been stepped up to plan shore electrification projects, particularly in collaboration with Hydro-Québec.
The port will submit a dockside electrification project for cruises by the end of the month. Its realization will make it possible to accommodate several dozen ships from 2027 and, thus, contribute to the positioning of the Canada–New England route as one of the most advanced regions in terms of sustainable development.
(Port of Quebec photo)
