GPH Leads a Major Environmental Mobilization
Global Ports Holding (GPH) has transformed International Coastal Cleanup Day into a collective initiative that spanned continents.
Through the initiative “From Every Port, For Every Coast,” the company engaged more than 250 volunteers in concrete actions to clean up beaches and shorelines, collecting over one ton of waste along with valuable data for marine pollution research. The message was clear and powerful: ports are not just logistical hubs, but guardians of coastal ecosystems.
GPH Coastal Cleanup
Ports have long served as bridges between land and sea. But GPH wanted to go beyond its infrastructural role: on the global day dedicated to coastal cleanup, the company orchestrated a coordinated and meaningful collective action across each of its terminals. The goal? To unite internal teams, local communities, and stakeholders in a shared mission: to care for the coasts that connect us all to the sea we cherish.
During the event, GPH volunteers collected over one metric ton of waste along beaches, cliffs, and coastal areas, with efforts spanning multiple continents. Across more than 20 hours of work, every port in the network made its contribution—not only by removing debris but also by collecting crucial environmental data. These insights are not just about cleaner shores today, but also about developing future policies and strategies to combat marine pollution in a more targeted way.
The event wasn’t merely symbolic: it was backed by a clear and committed statement from Stephen Xuereb, GPH’s Chief Operating Officer, who emphasized that ports, as connection points between land and sea, carry an even greater responsibility. Xuereb highlighted that the aim of From Every Port, For Every Coast was to prove that what can be achieved together far exceeds the sum of individual efforts. He reaffirmed the importance of protecting the coastlines on which we all depend—a message that strongly emphasized collaboration and community, both essential pillars of the initiative’s success.
GPH Coastal Cleanup
GPH Coastal Cleanup
At the heart of this mobilization lies GPH’s sustainability strategy, structured around three essential pillars. The first is the minimization of environmental impact: across the ports it manages, GPH continuously works to reduce emissions, energy consumption, and waste. The second is the empowerment of local communities: engaging those who live near the sea, ensuring transparency, and building shared projects. The third is responsible growth, which takes into account not only business goals but also the natural capital on which the business itself relies.
The international initiative was designed to embody this global vision. Each participating port became the protagonist of an environmental action, with internal teams, cruise partners, and volunteers working side by side. Thanks to its many international locations, the GPH network made it possible to achieve a global scale, demonstrating that a company with international reach can also act with local sensitivity.
The result, beyond the ton of waste collected, is a wealth of environmental data that will feed into GPH’s sustainability reports and guide future coastal protection initiatives. This information will help identify critical areas, the most common types of waste, and effective solutions to replicate elsewhere. In this sense, “From Every Port, For Every Coast” is not a one-off event, but the first building block in a long-term strategy.
GPH Coastal Cleanup
GPH Coastal Cleanup
It is important to note that this type of initiative holds even greater value in the context of cruise ports, where the relationship between tourism, maritime traffic, and environmental sustainability is often under scrutiny. GPH, operating at the very heart of the sector, proves through action that it is possible to make responsible choices without compromising operational efficiency. On the contrary, by aligning its global operator image with ecological responsibility, the company strengthens its reputation on the international stage.
The vision is clear: it is not enough for ports to be gateways for passengers—they must become guardians of the coastal environment. Every effort made from every port helps protect every coast, from remote shores to major urban hubs. GPH aims to channel its resources and influence toward this mission, recognizing that the ocean and the coastlines that border it are shared assets to be carefully preserved.
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