Peel Ports Group has announced it has significantly reduced its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across its port facilities, cutting these by almost a third since 2020.

The decrease is highlighted in the group’s new 51-page ESG report. Peel Ports has reportedly issued the paper to demonstrate its commitment to environmentally friendly port operations.

The independently-confirmed numbers demonstrate that the group has decreased Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by a total of 32 per cent throughout its port activities, compared to its 2020 baseline and utilising a market-based accounting system.

The company’s Scope 1 emissions across its port operations have fallen by 47 per cent alone during that time, largely helped by transitioning to using biofuels instead of diesels in straddle carriers and other equipment, and through the electrification of 97 per cent of the group’s vehicle fleet.

Claudio Veritiero, Chief Executive Officer at Peel Ports Group, said: “As one of the UK’s largest port operators, and a major employer in the areas in which we operate, we are fully aware of the role we need to play in driving the sustainability agenda.

“We took the lead within our industry when we announced our commitment to become a net-zero business by 2040, and this level of ambition has been replicated across our other focus areas of sustainability, including our approach to equality, diversity and inclusion as well as social issues.

“This report represents a steppingstone in our journey to delivering sustainable growth for the business and we remain fully committed to building on the achievements we’ve made to date while working to further embed sustainability as a driver for our future success.”

Peel Ports Group will be able to efficiently monitor and execute on its ESG aspirations due to the annual report, as it strives to become the UK’s leading sustainable port operator.

The report covers investments and actions to assist the firm reach the net-zero milestone by 2040 across all of its UK and Ireland sites, nearly two years after the company originally announced its ambitious net-zero objectives.

In September, Greenock and KGV ports, part of Peel Ports’ Clydeport Cluster, reached a significant milestone by achieving ISO-9001 re-certification.