Madeira was named the World’s Most Sustainable Cruise Terminal by the prestigious World Cruise Awards. This award recognizes the efforts of the Ports Administration of the Autonomous Region of Madeira (APRAM, S.A.) in advancing environmental sustainability.
“We are extremely proud of this award. It represents international recognition of the commitment and dedication Madeira’s ports have shown towards addressing environmental sustainability, energy efficiency, and decarbonization,” said Paula Cabaço, Chairwoman of APRAM, after receiving the award, past sunday, November 24.
“This award belongs to the entire Madeira Ports team. It is the result of the hard work and enthusiasm of our staff and also reflects the contributions of our partners and the regional port community who work alongside us,” she added, highlighting key projects that Madeira’s ports are actively involved in, such as DUAL, Green Ports Madeira, and SHIFT2DC.
The cruise industry is increasingly focused on energy transition and digitalization as pathways to decarbonization, and APRAM has been a proactive leader in this evolution.
SHIFT2DC is an international project involving over 30 entities from 12 countries, with a budget of €11 million. Madeira’s ports are the only European port infrastructure participating in this consortium. Green Ports Madeira involves a €700,000 investment to explore the feasibility and impact of developing Onshore Power Supply (OPS) infrastructure, which enables docked ships to switch off their engines and connect to the electrical grid, significantly reducing carbon emissions.
“We aim to provide clean, green energy to ships docked at our ports, actively contributing to a substantial reduction in carbon emissions,” explained Paula Cabaço, emphasizing that these initiatives align with the cruise industry’s environmental goals for the coming years.
The DUAL project also contributes to these objectives by monitoring environmental indicators such as water and air quality and energy consumption, enabling better planning and optimization without compromising the economic activity of Madeira’s ports.
“Our commitment to sustainability extends to how we interact with the city and the region,” said Paula Cabaço, referencing an agreement signed in September with Funchal City Council and CLIA (Cruise Lines International Association). The agreement ensures annual environmental awareness initiatives, such as tree-planting activities in the Funchal Ecological Park.
The World Cruise Awards Annual Gala was held this year in Funchal for the first time. It marked the third major recognition for Madeira’s ports, which were named Europe’s Leading Cruise Destination in both 2022 and 2023.
First presented in 2021, the World Cruise Awards are regarded as the “siblings” of the World Travel Awards, which have been recognizing excellence in tourism since 1993. Often referred to as the “Oscars of Tourism,” the World Travel Awards 2024 have seen Madeira win for ten times the title of World’s Leading Island Destination.
