AUGUST 30, 2021
Prepared by:
PORT HOUSTON
Sustainability
Action Plan
FINAL REPORT
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Table of Contents
Executive Summary ...................................................................................................................................... 1
1. SAT Overview ........................................................................................................................................... 2
SAT Workshop Process & Schedule ...................................................................................................... 2
SAT Workshop Process ............................................................................................................ 2
Electronic Polling Technology ................................................................................................... 2
SAT Execution Plan ................................................................................................................... 3
Workshop Schedule .................................................................................................................. 3
Foundation for ES2G & Sustainability at Port Houston .......................................................................... 4
Port Houston’s Stakeholders .................................................................................................................. 5
Seeding the Conversation: The Big Ideas Book ..................................................................................... 6
Context: Acknowledging Existing Initiatives ........................................................................................... 7
2. Synthesis of SAT Results.......................................................................................................................... 8
Approach ................................................................................................................................................ 8
Process to Move From Inputs to Action Plan ............................................................................ 8
Role of Port Houston in Initiative Implementation ..................................................................... 8
Summary of Findings .............................................................................................................................. 9
3. The Sustainability Action Plan ................................................................................................................ 12
Portfolio of Initiatives ............................................................................................................................ 12
Advisory Board Validation ....................................................................................................... 12
Refined Action Plan initiatives & Definitions ......................................................................................... 13
Lead Initiatives ......................................................................................................................... 13
Partner Initiatives ..................................................................................................................... 14
Support Initiatives .................................................................................................................... 15
Acknowlegements ....................................................................................................................................... 16
Port Commission .................................................................................................................................. 16
SAT Advisory Board ............................................................................................................................. 17
Stakeholder Organizations ................................................................................................................... 18
Port Houston Project Team .................................................................................................................. 18
Table of Tables
Table 1: Common Terms. ............................................................................................................................. 5
Table 2: Role In Initiative Implementation. .................................................................................................... 9
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Table 3: ES2G Focus Areas. ...................................................................................................................... 11
Table 4: Action Plan Initiatives. ................................................................................................................... 12
Tables of Figures
Figure 1: SAT Workshop Process. ................................................................................................................ 2
Figure 2: SAT Execution Plan. ...................................................................................................................... 3
Figure 3: Port Houston’s Stakeholders. ........................................................................................................ 5
Figure 4: Inputs to Action Plan. ..................................................................................................................... 8
Figure 5: Word Cloud of Important Sustainability Issues Identified by Participants. ................................... 9
Figure 6: Port Commission.......................................................................................................................... 16
Appendices
Appendix A – Sustainability Action Team Workshop PowerPoint Presentations
SAT Workshop Round 1
SAT Workshop Round 2
SAT Workshop – Advisory Board
Port Commission Status Update
PCCAC Briefing
Appendix B – Big Ideas Book
Introduction
Environmental Sustainability
Social Sustainability
Governance Sustainability
Appendix C – PollEverywhere Workshop Reports
SAT Workshop Round 1
SAT Workshop Round 2
SAT Workshop Round 3 – Advisory Board
Appendix D – Select Background Material
Community Relations Meeting – Environmental Update
ESG Criteria Discussion
PCCAC Update
Port Commission Update
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
For the past two decades, pressure has increased across the US and around the world to lead organizations
toward more transparency and accountability. Many private companies and public sector agencies have
responded to this call by identifying and measuring environmental, social, and governance (ESG) criteria
and standards. Sustainability issues are a concern across the full spectrum of Port Houston’s stakeholders:
customers, employees, suppliers, shareholders, and communities. The events of 2020 and 2021, bring
forth the renewed urgency to adopt and enforce business core values to protect human rights, health, the
environment, and corporate behavior, the very pillars of ESG. These principles are linked to Port Houston's
Five-Year Strategic Plan and practiced through the planning, design and construction phases, and in our
operations and maintenance processes.
Port Houston’s Commissioners set a corporate goal for 2021 to establish an action plan for ESG. In the
case of Port Houston, the acronym became ES2G as “Safety” criteria were added resulting in
environmental, social & safety, and governance (ES2G). As part of Port Houston's overall sustainability and
ES2G initiatives, Port Houston conducted a series of workshops to evaluate opportunities to further promote
stewardship, known as the Sustainability Action Team (SAT) Workshops. These events focused on
engaging Port Houston’s stakeholders on the important question: “What more can Port Houston do to
promote sustainability?” In addition to the SAT Workshops and in response to the Port Commission’s
directive, Port Houston will publish an annual Port Houston Sustainability Report in 2021.
The SAT Workshop process was conducted in June and July 2021. The objective was to work
collaboratively with numerous port area stakeholders to define actionable projects and opportunities that
the Port can can lead, partner with others, or support from the side to produce tangible results. The three
rounds of workshops were interactive and based on the principle that “all ideas are welcome.” The
stakeholders invited to participate represented a broad and balanced range of perspectives from industry,
community, and subject matter experts, including environmental advocates. In total, 140 stakeholders were
invited to participate and approximately 70 participants from the community, industry, and subject matter
experts participated and shared their ideas and input. Port Houston greatly appreciates the contributions of
all stakeholders who participated in the SAT. In addition, updates and briefings were provided to Port
Commission and the Port Commission Citizens Advisory Council (PCCAC).
Port Houston recognizes that big challenges require big ideas and concerted action. The initiatives that
emerged from the SAT are in addition to Port Houston’s established and ongoing stewardship activities and
are separate from but complementary to other discussions that Port Houston continually has with its
stakeholders. The emerging Sustainability Action Plan resulting from the process includes 27 potential
opportunities, which were validated by the SAT Advisory Board. Port Houston will now move into
further developing and refining the Action Plan in order to implement new proposed sustainability
initiatives in the months and years ahead.
This report is organized into the following sections:
E
xecutive Summary
1. SAT Overview
2. Synthesis of SAT Results
3. Refined Sustainability Action Plan
Acknowledgements
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1. SAT OVERVIEW
This section provides an introduction to the SAT process as well as to important background information
that informed material shared with workshop participants.
SAT WORKSHOP PROCESS & SCHEDULE
Port Houston conducted a series of cross-stakeholder virtual workshops – known as Sustainability Action
Team Workshops – in June and July 2021 that included industry, citizens, and other organizations, to
undertake a process of engagement, ideation, coordination, and collaboration. More than 140 stakeholders
from industry, agencies and citizens were invited to participate.
The PowerPoint Presentations for each of the workshops as well as the input collected are included in the
appendices.
SAT WORKSHOP PROCESS
The figure below illustrates the approach that was deployed during the process that brought the participants
from divergent thinking to convergent thinking allowing them to coalesce around a series of sustainability
initiatives.
Figure 1: SAT Workshop Process.
ELECTRONIC POLLING TECHNOLOGY
In recognition of the ongoing global pandemic, workshops were held virtually and included information
sharing, free-form input, and electronic polling. Port Houston utilized the platform PollEverywhere as its
participant response system. This allowed participants to easily rate, rank, and provide free-form ideas that
were captured and documented in the polling platform allowing the Port Houston project team to quantify
feedback as needed and also to view stakeholders’ verbatim input. Although an important component of
the workshops, polling technology was not the sole method for engaging the stakeholders. Opportunities
for comments and dialogue were incorporated into the workshop agenda. Outputs from PollEverywhere are
included in the appendix to this report.
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SAT EXECUTION PLAN
The figure below illustrates the overall process moving from establishing the SAT core project team through
to implementation. It is anticipated that the Action Plan resulting from this process will be continually
reevaluated and adjusted as needed.
Figure 2: SAT Execution Plan.
WORKSHOP SCHEDULE
As mentioned above, June and July 2021 were an intensive period for the SAT Process. Listed below are
the dates and objectives of each of the SAT activities.
ROUND 1: June 1, 2, and 3, 20210 from 10 AM to Noon
● Objective: Explore what sustainability are more impactful, more resonating, or more valued
by stakeholders and which are more suited for a Port to lead, partner on, or support from the
side.
ROUND 2: June 24, 2021 from 10 AM to Noon
● Objective: Recap and discuss what was learned from Round 1and what are the practical
ways forward, together. (No decisions yet, but pivoting from divergent to convergent thinking.)
ROUND 3 SAT ADVISORY BOARD: July 13, 2021 from 10 AM to Noon
● Objective: A third workshop was held with a smaller group of advisers to independently
validate the outcomes and make recommendations for plan execution.
PORT COMMISSION STATUS UPDATE, July 20, 2021
PORT COMMISSION CITIZENS ADVISORY COUNCIL (PCCAC) BRIEFING, July 2021
Outputs from the workshops is included in the appendix. In addition, PowerPoint presentations included in
the appendix summarize the results from each of the prior workshops and are a good resource for detailed
information on the process.
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FOUNDATION FOR ES2G & SUSTAINABILITY
AT PORT HOUSTON
Port Houston seeks to support the region and beyond through specific sustainability initiatives. Port
Houston’s plans, projects, and programs are developed on multiple fronts, each of which are grounded in
its mission, vision, and values providing the foundation for our future. Collectively, these plans contribute
to form a framework for day-to-day and long-term decision making.
From the goals and objectives of the Strategic Plan to the strategies and initiatives of the 2040 Plan to
specific action plans, Port Houston’s planning efforts are thoughtfully developed and implemented to ensure
resource availability to achieve short, mid, and long-range goals. Values seldom change, but plans adjust
as needed.
Our mission is “to move the world and drive regional prosperity.”
Our Vision is to be “America’s Distribution Hub for the Next Generation.”
Our Values are embodied in the statement “We are Ready.”
For more information about Port Houston’s mission and vision, please visit the Port Houston website.
Listed below are both Port Houston documents as well as external documents that provide the foundation
for Port Houston’s sustainability and leadership efforts.
Strategic Plan = Mission, Vision, Values, Strategic Goals
Port Houston 2040 Plan = 20 Year Comprehensive Plan
Environmental Leadership Strategy
ESG Directive from Chairman Campo
UNDP Sustainable Development Goals
World Ports Sustainability Program
And more…
For example, Port Houston takes into consideration numerous plans, projects, and programs of our
partners, many of whom are participating in the SAT Workshops. For the 2040 Plan, Port Houston reviewed
over 40 planning documents and identified seventy-five relevant themes which highlight potential synergies
and common goals. The top themes – which are also relevant to our sustainability initiatives – include:
Economic prosperity and resilience
Environmental quality and resiliency
Transportation Mobility, Connectivity, and Safety
Quality of Life
Partnerships
It is also important to note that in the current climate there is emerging emphasis on the need for social
equity in every facet of life in our community from economy to environment, transportation, community,
access, and more. In addition, Port Houston collects community feedback through a variety of methods.
Some of the recurring themes we have received recently related to environmental projects and programs
include: Reduce emissions, Mitigation needed, Be a good neighbor, Jobs, Hot spots, Transparency, Save
the Bay, Plant trees, Promote justice, and Inclusion.
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COMMON UNDERSTANDING OF COMMON TERMS
There are a variety of terms that are infused in the discussion of sustainability and ESG. As such, Port
Houston’s understanding of those concepts is defined below.
Table 1: Common Terms.
TERM DEFINITION
Sustainability “Sustainable development …meets the needs of the present without
compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” –
United Nations
ESG Data driven approach to collect, report, and act on three pillars of sustainability:
Environment, Social, Governance
Note that Port Houston has added “Safety” to the “S” resulting in ES2G.
Resilience Capacity of businesses, institutions, communities, and individuals to survive,
adapt, and grow even when faced with acute shocks and chronic stresses.
PORT HOUSTON’S STAKEHOLDERS
Port Houston invited a broad range of stakeholders to participate in Rounds 1 and 2 of the SAT process to
provide direction and build consensus for sustainability initiatives. As part of the initial process, the broad
participation workshops will funnel down dozens of concepts to a shorter list that can then be validated with
a smaller independent group of senior executives and professionals – the SAT Advisory Board – prior to
presenting the results to our Board of Port Commissioners.
In total, 140 Stakeholders were invited and approximately half participated. A detailed list of the invited
organizations and membership of the SAT Advisory Board are provided in the Acknowledgements at the
end of this report. As highlighted in the figure below, approximately 30 percent of participants represented
community, 60 percent represented industry stakeholders, and 10 percent were subject matter experts (this
does not include members of the Port Commission or PCCAC).
Figure 3: Port Houston’s Stakeholders.
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STAKEHOLDER WORKSHOP EVALUATION
Stakeholder evaluation of the workshops was generally quite positive. At the end of each workshop,
participants were asked to evaluate the workshop on a Lickert scale of 1 to 5 where 5 = Excellent, 3 = Fair,
and 1 = Poor. Across all workshops, more than 85 percent rated to the workshops as a 4 or 5. Less than
15 percent rated it as 3 (Fair). No participant rated the workshops as 1 (Poor) or 2. Stakeholders also
provided comments on the workshops which are included in the Appendix.
SEEDING THE CONVERSATION: THE BIG IDEAS BOOK
The common framework of Environment, Social, Governance (ESG) is being used to shape the discussion.
Within this frame, there are many ways to accomplish sustainability goals. For example, the World Ports
Sustainability Program (WPSP) identified a portfolio of 120 projects from 71 ports, across five themes
including Resilient Infrastructure, Climate and Energy, Community and Port-City Dialogue, Safety and
Security, and Governance and Ethics. Port Houston’s draft Clean Air Strategy Plan (CASP) conducted a
Best Management Practices Review (BMPR) which identified 257 initiatives being executed at 12 US ports,
including 58 from Port Houston.
Port Houston prepared an extensive inventory of example sustainability initiatives to seed the conversation
during the workshops entitled the “Big Ideas Book.” The ideas included were intended to be illustrative of a
broad spectrum of possibilities. These do not comprise an exhaustive list, but just a varied menu to to
stimulate thinking and help prepare for a fast-paced discussion. It did not include stakeholder ideas, which
were shared during the conduct of the workshops, nor do they reflect the WPSP or BMPR concepts (which
are documented separately), although arguably many are similar. All of the concepts in this book and other
references are being implemented at ports or in related industry, and were defined for their fit with those
specific situations. As such, this listing does not infer intent or imply that Port Houston will undertake any
of the concepts included. This reference was meant to be an aid for discussion.
The Big Ideas: Environmental Sustainability ● Carbon Capture,
Utilization, & Storage (CCUS) ● Circular Economy Innovation District ·
Cleantech Incubators for Emissions Reductions ● Cleaner Port Area
Locomotive Fleet ● Containers on Barge ● Convert Waste Heat into
Process Energy ● Decarbonization in Shipping ● Electric
Tugboat/Towboat ● Electric Drayage Trucks ● Electric Vehicles &
Associated Infrastructure ● Energy Technology ● Freight Shuttle ●
Hydrogen Economy ● Hydrogen Fuel Cell Drayage Trucks ● Hydrogen
Fuel Cell Container Yard Cranes ● LNG Bunkering ● Ocean-Going
Vessel Emissions Capture-And-Control (Bonnet Scrubbers) ● Ocean
Vessel Port Call Scheduling Optimization ● Plastics to Fuel Recycling
● Ports Area Freight Mobility ● Shore power for Ocean Going Vessels
● Solar Buoys ● Solar Panels and Energy Storage on Port Property ·
Surface Water Debris Removal Boats ● Synthetic Biology for CO2
Absorption ● Terminal Electrification ● Truck Replacement Program ●
Wind Power on Port Property ● Social & Safety Sustainability ●
Community Beautification ● Social & Safety Sustainability ● Community Engagement & Strengthening ●
Community Revitalization ● Diversity Equality and Inclusion (DEI) Initiatives ● Environmental
Enhancements & Restoration ● Healthy Food Accessibility ● Maritime Education ● Parks, Green Spaces,
& Community Gardens ● Plastic Debris Reduction ● Preventing Human Trafficking ● Public Art &
Beautification ● Workforce Development ● Governance Sustainability ● ESG Tracking & Transparency
● GIS for Sustainability ● Minority and Women Business Enterprise.
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CONTEXT: ACKNOWLEDGING EXISTING INITIATIVES
Port Houston has a number of existing and ongoing sustaintability initiatives. Currently, the Port averages
over $10 million per year in sustainability related expenditures. These existing initiatives provide context for
the additional efforts that could be undertaken as part of the Sustainability Action Plan.
Annual Financial Reporting & Transparency
Beneficial Use Group
Carbon Footprint Reduction
Clean Cities
Community Grants Program
Community Spaces Renewals
DERA & TERP / CASP-GMEI
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Education & Workforce Development
Electrification & Lighting
Emissions Reduction / Alternative Transport
Ethics and FCPA
Freight Mobility (Traffic Network)
Interagency Mentor Program
Land Conservancy
Local Community Strengthening
Marine Habitats Restorations
Nurdle Surveys
Oyster Restoration
Port Commission Citizens Advisory Council (PC-CAC)
Port of the Future
Safety and Security Programs
Terminal Efficiency Improvements
Waste Management / Recycling / Debris Reduction
Water Quality and Environmental Restoration
Wetlands Management
Workforce Development
ISO 140001 Environmental Management System
“At Port Houston, we know the importance of implementing sustainable
practices now that will have far-reaching positive impacts. We prioritize
this in how we operate, in our use of technology, and how we respond to
the needs of the communities where we do business.”
Roger Guenther, Executive Director, Port Houston
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2. SYNTHESIS OF SAT RESULTS
The objective of this report is not to summarize each step of the process as supporting information in the
appendices is available to review the detailed progress of this iterative process. Rather, this report seeks
to provide the main findings and conclusions that resulted from the SAT process and, most importantly,
present the shortlist of initiatives to be included in the Action Plan.
APPROACH
PROCESS TO MOVE FROM INPUTS TO ACTION PLAN
The figure below illustrates the process that was used to take the various inputs collected during the SAT
stakeholder workshops to develop initiatives that Port Houston could lead partner or support. The Ideas
and Rankings were collected during Round 1 and resulted in the priority areas and action imperatives. Port
Houston then internally processed these inputs in consideration of the evaluation criteria and any relevant
ongoing Port Houston projects or programs to refine the list of potential sustainability initiatives for
presentation and Round 2. Stakeholders at Round 2 confirmed that the emerging action was headed in the
right direction and provided ideas for successful implementation and collaboration. The action plan was
further refined for presentation to the Advisory Board, which validated it.
Figure 4: Inputs to Action Plan.
ROLE OF PORT HOUSTON IN INITIATIVE IMPLEMENTATION
An important component of the Action Plan is not only the initiative itself, but also a definition of the role
Port Houston can play in implementation. The Port recognizes that it can’t do it all and can’t do it alone.
Port Houston embraces the public benefit it serves and recognizes that implementing sustainability
initiatives will require the support of numerous government agencies, port users, customers, non-
government organizations, community leaders, and area residents. Interagency coordination, collaboration,
and cooperation will be critical to driving the region’s success.
Port Houston will spearhead initiatives within the bounds of its properties, however, a number of external
initiatives may also require actively engaging with other agencies and stakeholders. As such, the role of the
Port will be to either lead, partner, or support from the side. Examples of each role are provided in the table
below.
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Table 2: Role In Initiative Implementation.
LEAD PARTNER SUPPORT
• Business case for Capital
• Collaborative Forums /
Working Groups
• Call for Projects
• Memoranda of
Understanding
• Partial FTE Participation in
Working Groups
• Challenge Contributions
RESOURCES
Implementing the new sustainability initiatives that are part of the Action Plan will like take significant
resources above and beyond what Port Houston is already spending and investing on sustainability.
Currently, the Port averages over $10 million per year in sustainability related expenditures. The Action
Plan will require additional time and capital from Port, partners, stakeholders, and others. More specifically,
it will likely require:
Staff time for coordination of Sustainability Action Plan
Capital, property, opportunity costs for partnered projects
Financial and expertise resources for support initiatives
Federal, State, Local and Industry / NGO funds
SUMMARY OF FINDINGS
The SAT Process generated a wealth of ideas and input. Outlined below are the key findings that have
been distilled from the process. In addition, the figure below provides a word cloud of the most important
sustainability issues identified by participants in the Round 1 workshops to provide an example of the type
of input generated during the interactive sessions that helped to inform the findings listed below.
PARTICIPATION
Three Rounds, 140
Stakeholders Invited,
Approximately half
participated
The Outputs, Conclusions,
and Draft Action Plan were
validated by the Advisory
Board
PRIORITY AREAS
Clean Energy
Air Quality
Community
Circular Economy
Transparency
Figure 5: Word Cloud of Important Sustainability Issues
Identified by Participants.
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ACTION IMPERATIVES
Closer to home is more important than global impact to stakeholders
The near-, mid- and long-term impacts of initiatives are all equally important
Collaboration and partnership is critical
Projects and impacts must be measurable
Initiatives should align with regional and community objectives and projects
ACTION PLAN
There are 27 Initiatives included in the Action Plan. They are organized as follows: eight Lead
initiatives, ten Partner initiatives, and nine Support Initiatives.
Engagement Model includes Business Case Justification (Lead); Call for Projects / MOUs
(Partner); and Contributions in Kind and Challenge Funds (Support).
EXECUTION COMPLEXITIES
There are trade-offs between impact and ease of implementation.
Different stakeholders want different impacts.
There is no single “silver bullet.” There will need to be a multi-year focus to achieve tangible
results.
Partnerships may best combine project focus and ultimate impact, but require scoping, and ROI.
Smaller programs provide smaller, near-term impacts, while larger impact investments can run
into $10’s or $100’s of Millions, OPM funds, and longer timeframes.
THE GOOD NEWS
Sustainability has “hit its stride” and many of the concepts contemplated are nearing a “tipping
point.”
There is high stakeholder energy and alignment for this emerging portfolio of sustainability
initiatives.
There are several partnership discussions already on-going.
There are viable iniativies – “low-hanging fruit” – on the horizon can provide near-term, local
impacts.
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ES2G FOCUS AREAS
Listed below are the criteria / focus areas of Port Houston’s ES2G. They are listed in order of importance
to Port Houston’s stakeholders based on SAT workshop results.
Table 3: ES2G Focus Areas.
ENVIRONMENT SOCIAL & SAFETY GOVERNANCE
Air Quality
Clean Energy
Water Quality
Maritime Safety & Efficiency
Operational Efficiency
Waste Mgt / Circular Economy
Land Management
Communications & Training
Occupational Health & Safety
Regional Resilience &
Alignment
Port Security
Human Rights & Social Justice
Workforce Development
Cybersecurity
Economic Development
Diversity & Inclusion
Quality of Life
Community Outreach & Port-
Cities Dialogue
Jobs
Labor Relations
Employee Engagement
Port Accessibility
Transparency
Ethics
Risk Management
Sustainable Planning
Compliance
Strategic Asset Management
Financial Reporting
Procurement
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3. THE SUSTAINABILITY ACTION PLAN
The ultimate goal of the SAT process was to create a realistic yet impactful sustainability action plan that
represents the priorities and has the support of a broad range of stakeholders. This section of the report
presents the Action Plan that emerged from the SAT process. The material is presented in three formats:
PORTFOLIO OF INITIATIVES – Provides a table of the sustainability initiatives organized by the
piority category addressed by the initiative as well as the role that Port Houston will play in its
implementation. It is important to note that there are initiatives that address more than one category
(e.g. Clean Energy and Air Quality may overlap). Despite the multiple benefits an initiative may
have, each is listed only in its primary category.
ACTION PLAN INITIATIVES & DEFINITIONS – Basic details / definition are provided for each
of the Lead, Partner, and Support Initiatives that are included in the refined Action Plan.
PORTFOLIO OF INITIATIVES
The table below provides the initiatives that are included in the refined action plan. It is an ambitious portfolio
and will require intensive effort on the part of Port Houston, its stakeholders, and partners to achieve
success. It is important to note that all of these initiatives are “new” to Port Houston having been proposed
or initiated in 2021 as a result specifically of this SAT Process or as a result of parallel efforts. Descriptions
of each of the initiatives can be found on the following pages.
Table 4: Action Plan Initiatives.
ADVISORY BOARD VALIDATION
During Round 3 of the SAT workshops, the Advisory Board validated the Action Plan. Board Members were
asked if the the draft Sustainability Action Plan is responsive, realistic, and will have positive impacts. One
hundred percent (100%) agreed or strongly agreed with that statement. Not a single Board Member was
undecided or disagreed. This is a great endorsement of the emerging Action Plan.
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REFINED ACTION PLAN INITIATIVES & DEFINITIONS
LEAD INITIATIVES
INITIATIVE DESCRIPTION
CHE Electrification Electric Yard Mule Pilot Initiated from TCEQ sponsored Emissions Redux
study (w/ AECOM, EDF).
Fully evaluate technology ability to bear loads and develop fleet business
plan.
Freight Mobility
Renewal
Port Houston, Economic Alliance and others developed a freight mobility
projects list in 2016.
With numerous projects successfully executed, this effort requires a five-year
renewal.
Maritime Education
Outreach
Expanding Maritime Education opportunities to additional schools and
students.
Increasing partnerships with institutions that support Maritime workforce
development.
Community
Engagement Events
Organizing events that benefit and engage the community.
Build awareness for environment, social and supplier diversity programs.
Parks & Green Spaces
Revitalization
Constructing, repairing, and /or enhancing local parks, trails, gardens and
other green spaces.
Improve health equity and to strengthen communities near the Houston Ship
Channel.
Economic Development
Job Creation
Greater Port Economic Impact includes 3.2 MM jobs nationally and 1.35 MM
in Texas.
Port Houston Economic Development activity attracting new cargo generates
more jobs.
Diversity, Equity &
Inclusion Initiatives
Fostering a culture of diversity, equity, inclusion, innovation, and open
communication.
Creating a positive social and economic impact improving quality of life for
communities we serve.
M/S/W Business Equity
Program
Expand opportunities for minority, small, & women-owned business
enterprise program.
Create a Business Equity Division.
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PARTNER INITIATIVES
INITIATIVE DESCRIPTION
Alternative Fuel
Drayage
Collaborate with Truck and Cargo Owners companies to accelerate adoption
of class-8 electric trucks (powered by batteries or hydrogen fuel cell) for
container drayage.
Support innovative business and contract models to lower financial risks for
truck owners.
Solar PV & Energy
Storage
Solicit creative proposals to build Solar PV and energy storage systems on
Port property.
Potential sites include rooftop areas and long term land.
Marine Fuel
Alternatives
Support Industry partners to facilitate alternative fuel bunkering marketplace
and infrastructure.
LPG/LNG, Ammonia, Methanol, Hydrogen supporting decarbonization in
shipping.
Dockside Emissions
Redux
Exhaust capture systems and/or shorepower infrastructure to mitigate
emissions from vessels.
Collaborate with regional Industry partners, global Ports, and ocean carriers
to deploy systems.
DERA/TERP Repower
Grants
Expand the use of DERA/TERP grants to other equipment like cranes and
tugboats.
Increase frequency of submittal of DERA/TERP grant applications.
Plastics Pyrolysis Value
Chain
Plastics to fuel recycling is currently commercialized in the Port area by
several companies.
Potential for Port Houston to be a part of a sustainable business park,
receiving cargo of post-consumer plastic materials and connecting it to an
industry funded pyrolysis facility.
Harbor Street Port Houston donated 22 Acres and augmented funds for Buffalo Bayou
Partnership east end master planning to envision its potential for community
development and resiliency facilities.
Port Houston stands with Houston and BBP as the City's emerging project
becomes reality.
50/50 Parks Board Port Houston accepted Houston Mayor Turner’s challenge and committed
$1MM over four years as Founding Park Partner Level in Houston Parks
Board park development program.
Legislative Advocacy
Discuss with our law makers to support carbon reduction technologies and
infrastructure.
Providing letters of support for our stakeholders to help tackle ongoing
environmental and social/community justice issues.
Environmental
Mitigation Bank
Co-Development
Partner with Harris County Flood Control District for the creation of a
wetlands mitigation bank.
ES2G | ENVIRONMENTAL SOCIAL & SAFETY GOVERNANCE
PORT HOUSTON | SAT Workshops Final Report – Prepared by CAS Group LLC Page 15
SUPPORT INITIATIVES
INITIATIVE DESCRIPTION
Blue Sky Maritime
Coalition
Acts to accelerate the US and Canada maritime value chain’s pathway to net
zero GHG emissions.
Cross-functional collaboration will be utilized to enable swift mobilization and
tangible, sustainable results.
IEA Hydrogen Ports Clean Energy Ministerial Global Ports Hydrogen Coalition supporters
Supports the scale up of clean hydrogen in global economies.
Innovation / Incubators
Economically viable and practically scalable solutions to address big bucket
emission challenges.
Intermodal Innovative ideas such as freight shuttle, automation, etc.
TCEQ Monitors
Worked with our community stakeholders and provided a formal letter for
TCEQ in supporting the stakeholder’s initiatives of adding more air monitors
in our Port communities.
PortXchange
(Port Call Optimization)
Scheduling transparency for terminals and vessels helping decrease port
turnaround times.
Improve efficiency leads to less vessel time and emissions at docks and at
anchorage.
Regional Climate
Action Plan (CAP)
City of Houston's Climate Action Plan seeks to reduce regional GHG
emissions.
Preventative measures to address the negative outcomes of climate change.
Flood Resiliency Port participates in San Jacinto Regional Flood Planning Group.
Members from various areas to work on tangible ideas for flood resilience.
Storm Resiliency Port to participate in Coastal Risk Reduction and Resilience.
Focused on effective implementation of an integrated approach to flood and
coastal flood hazard mitigation.
ES2G | ENVIRONMENTAL SOCIAL & SAFETY GOVERNANCE
PORT HOUSTON | SAT Workshops Final Report – Prepared by CAS Group LLC Page 16
ACKNOWLEGEMENTS
A range of organizations and individuals participated in the SAT Process. The following section recognizes
the contributions of the following:
Port Commission
SAT Advisory Board
Invited Stakeholders
Port Houston Project Team
PORT COMMISSION
The Port Commission played an integral role in the SAT process, first and foremost by issuing the directive
to create ES2G criteria and prepare Port Houston’s first annual Sustainability Report. Their leadership and
ongoing support were critical to the successful development of the Sustainability Action Plan.
Figure 6: Port Commission.
ES2G | ENVIRONMENTAL SOCIAL & SAFETY GOVERNANCE
PORT HOUSTON | SAT Workshops Final Report – Prepared by CAS Group LLC Page 17
SAT ADVISORY BOARD
Port Houston established a Sustainability Action Team Advisory Board to assist the Port with reviewing
SAT workshop results and developing recommendations for consideration by the Port Commission. Port
Houston greatly appreciates the time and consideration offered by the following Advisory Board Members.
Kinder Baumgardner – SWA Group, Managing Principal
James Caldwell – Coalition of Community Organization – Nonprofit Charitable Organization
Lara Cottingham – City of Houston, Chief of Staff & Chief Sustainability Officer
Judge Ed Emmett – Fellow in Energy and Transportation and Professor in the Practice at Rice University
Nelson Espitia – Community Relations Director, Harris County Precinct 2
Christine Galib – The ION Houston, Senior Director
Dr. Paula Gant – GTI Energy, Senior Vice President, Strategy and Innovation
Drew Nelson – Cynthia George Mitchell Foundation, Clean Energy Program Officer
Lance Nunez -- Dow Chemical, Global Modal Tech Leader &
North America Bulk Marine Operations Leader
Rachel Powers – Citizens' Environmental Coalition/ PCCAC, Executive Director
Craig Raborn – H-GAC, Director of Transportation
Bob Stokes – Galveston Bay Foundation, President
Filip Vandenbussche – Port of Antwerp North America Business Development Manager
Col. Timothy Vail – US Army Corps of Engineer (USACE), Galveston District Commander
Matt Woodruff – Kirby Corporation, Vice President of Public and Government Affairs
ES2G | ENVIRONMENTAL SOCIAL & SAFETY GOVERNANCE
PORT HOUSTON | SAT Workshops Final Report – Prepared by CAS Group LLC Page 18
STAKEHOLDER ORGANIZATIONS
Listed below are the organizations that were invited to participate in the SAT Workshop and represent a
broad range of important community, environment, and business interests in the region. Port Houston
values these long-standing relationships to collaborate on issues of importance to the maritime sector,
economic prosperity, environmental quality, and quality of life.
Academy *
Air Liquide S.A.
Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.
Bahri
Center for Houston's Future
Chevron Corporation
Citizens' Environmental Coalition *
City of Houston *
City of LaPorte
City of Morgan's Point
CMA-CGM *
Coalition of Community Organizations
COSTCO
CPC Chem
ETC *
East Harris County Empowerment Council
Economic Alliance Houston Port Region *
Empresarios Latinos
Enterprise *
Environmental Defense Fund *
Evergreen Shipping
ExxonMobil *
G&H Towing *
G2 Ocean *
Galena Park Independent School District
Galveston Bay Foundation *
Gethsemane Missionary Baptist Church
GTI Energy *
Hapag Lloyd *
Harris County Precinct 2 *
H-E-B
Home Depot
Houston Advance Research Center *
Hyundai Merchant Marine America Inc. *
IHS Markit Ltd
IKEA *
ITC *
Jacinto City
Jetco
Keep Houston Beautiful *
Kirby Corporation *
Lazard
Linde Gas
Lyondell Bassell *
Maersk
Magellan *
MSC *
ONE (Ocean Network Express) *
Pasadena Economic Development Corp
Pleasantville Super Neighborhood Council *
Port of Antwerp
Port of Vancouver *
Public Citizen
Ravago *
Resident, City of Seabrook
Rice University *
NYK Group Americas Inc.
Sealand-Maersk
Shell Global
Steve Silver Company
SWA Group *
Texas Health and Environment Alliance
The Dow Chemical Company
Union Pacific Railroad
United States Army Corps of Engineers
University of Texas *
Vector Consultants
VOLKSWAGON Group of America, Inc. *
Walmart
West Gulf Maritime Association
YangMing *
ZIM Line
* Those who participated in the workshops.
ES2G | ENVIRONMENTAL SOCIAL & SAFETY GOVERNANCE
PORT HOUSTON | SAT Workshops Final Report – Prepared by CAS Group LLC Page 19
PORT HOUSTON PROJECT TEAM
Listed below are the leadership, staff, and supporting consultants that coordinated and conducted the
SAT process.
Roger Guenther, Executive Director
Rich Byrnes, Chief Infrastructure Officer
Trae Camble, Environmental Affairs Director
Maria Aguirre, Community Relations Director
Ryan Dixon, Lead Environmental Compliance Coordinator
Dr. Elwanda M. Bennett, Employee Development Specialist
Adithya Dahagama, Energy & Infrastructure Strategy, Technical & Business Analytics
Ken Gathright, Environmental Compliance Coordinator
Roxanne Muniz, Environmental Planning Analyst
Therese Bilnoski, Administrative Assistant
Prepared by:
Jennifer Lindbom, AICP, CAS Group
Nataly Blumberg, CAS Group
Rosa Brand, CAS Group
