Análise do índice de desempenho ambiental como ferramenta de aprimoramento da Gestão Ambiental dos Portos Marítimos de Pernambuco, Brasil

Abstract

The complex port system has an unquestionable relevance for the country's economic development, as it enables the maintenance of a globalized supply chain and integrates different modes of transportation. However, ports are often highlighted for their potential negative impact on the environment due to the nature of their operations. In order to incorporate the environmental variable into port management, indicators have been used as metrics to monitor environmental performance in ports. Therefore, the National Waterway Transportation Agency (ANTAQ) created the Environmental Performance Index (IDA), aiming to assess the efficiency and quality of environmental management in Brazilian ports through indicators. The objective of this study was to analyze the IDA as a tool for improving the environmental management of the seaports of Pernambuco, namely the Port of Recife and the Port of Suape. To this end, a documentary survey was carried out, based on the main instruments of port environmental management, such as the Local Environmental Agenda, Sustainability Reports and the Development and Zoning Plans (PDZ) of the ports studied. The environmental management actions developed were also mapped, verifying the degree of environmental compliance and the proactive and voluntary practices, carrying out a diagnosis of the port's environmental management. Furthermore, compliance with fifteen of the thirty-eight specific IDA indicators during the period from 2012 to 2023 was analyzed. Subsequently, a questionnaire was applied to the managers and members of the Environmental Center of the two port facilities in order to verify, from the perspective of the employees, the challenges faced and relevant aspects of the IDA. The study revealed that, when comparing the environmental management practices developed by the seaports of Pernambuco with the specific indicators selected, in 2023, the Port of Suape presented satisfactory performance for the 15 indicators, while the Port of Recife met 11 of the 15 indicators analyzed. It can be inferred, by analyzing the historical series, that the IDA makes major contributions to improving the environmental performance of ports, by reinforcing minimum environmental compliance criteria and proposing practices that are disseminated internationally, such as the supply of energy to ships. Regarding the difficulties faced by managers, they pointed out the limited financial resources allocated to the environmental area and the insufficient number of employees linked to the Environmental Center of the facilities. The IDA is also related to 9 of the 17 SDGs recommended by the United Nations in 2015, namely SDGs 3, 6, 7, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16, which demonstrates that by meeting the requirements defined by ANTAQ, ports also contribute to consolidating the global pact signed through the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development. Finally, the results obtained through the diagnosis of port environmental management practices developed by the two ports allowed the preparation of the “Manual of Good Practices for Port Environmental Management: The Strategy used by the Ports of Recife and Suape in Pernambuco”, contributing to the dissemination of knowledge about these actions to other Brazilian Port Authorities