Ports America Partners with CarbonBetter for Comprehensive ESG Materiality Assessment
Ports America partnered with CarbonBetter to conduct a materiality assessment, identifying key risks and opportunities for their ESG roadmap.
Ports America, a leading terminal operator and stevedore in the United States, with operations in more than 42 ports and 80 locations, partnered with CarbonBetter, a sustainability and decarbonization consulting firm specializing in helping organizations across their sustainability journey, to conduct its first ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) materiality assessment. This initiative was an important first step and milestone towards Ports America’s goal of developing a decarbonization roadmap to achieve net zero.
As the premiere terminal operator and stevedore in the U.S., Ports America leads the maritime, ports, and shipping industry in driving ESG initiatives. They have established an industry-leading vision and are transforming their operations to improve Health and Safety and minimize their environmental footprint. The first step of this transformation was identifying the major risks and opportunities within their ESG initiatives. In collaboration with CarbonBetter, the Ports America team conducted a comprehensive materiality assessment to identify these key factors.
The assessment began by defining ESG topics of interest and priorities, followed by identifying key internal and external stakeholders. To gather a wide range of perspectives, the team conducted a survey targeting four distinct stakeholder groups and followed up with in-depth one-on-one interviews with many stakeholders. These efforts collected both qualitative and quantitative data on the perceptions of Ports America’s ESG impacts and priorities.
“Partnering with CarbonBetter was a natural step for us to take on our path to achieving net zero. This collaboration helped better align our sustainability initiatives by identifying and prioritizing the most impactful areas for improvement, ensuring Ports America not only meets, but exceeds the expectations of our stakeholders and the communities we serve.”
Dr. Sharifa Batts, Head of Environment & Sustainability, Ports America
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Case StudiesThe survey reached 68 Ports America employees, 21 port staff across 10 port authorities, 21 customers, and five stakeholders from two shareholder groups. Following the survey, eight interviews were held with 13 stakeholders from various groups. This mixed method provided a thorough understanding of stakeholder views.
The process culminated in a full-day workshop with over 20 participants from across the United States and Europe, conducted in a hybrid format with both in-person and virtual attendees. The workshop focused on educating stakeholders about the ESG landscape, aligning on the rating of key material issues, and identifying top ESG priorities for Ports America.
With the materiality assessment complete and key ESG issues identified, Ports America is now focusing on the next phase of its ESG journey: aligning with the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) standards. SASB provides industry-specific disclosure standards across ESG topics, helping companies and investors communicate about financially material and decision-useful information.
To define an approach for SASB reporting, Ports America is collaborating with CarbonBetter to conduct a robust peer review to explore industry maturity around public goal setting and SASB-aligned reporting.
About CarbonBetter
Founded in 2012, CarbonBetter partners with organizations across various industries, including ports and terminal operators, to implement sustainability, decarbonization, and net-zero strategies. Our firm combines expertise in carbon markets with a deep understanding of energy logistics to align environmental and business goals.
About Ports America
Ports America, a leading terminal operator and stevedore in the United States, with operations in more than 42 ports and 80 locations offers a wide range of services, including container, breakbulk, automotive, military, and cruise ship operations. Ports America is headquartered in Jersey City, New Jersey, and is known for its commitment to safety, integrity, and partnership, delivering all-in solutions in a safe and sustainable environment.
About the Author
Pankaj Tanwar is Managing Director of Climate Services at CarbonBetter. He has experience leading Fortune 100 companies through their sustainability journeys, including sustainability driven growth in the food industry. Pankaj holds an MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management and a BTech in Mechanical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur.
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