The pilot publication is the first step toward a clear, practical and globally relevant framework for assessing and recognising sustainability maturity across cruise ports.
The International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH) released the pilot edition of its Sustainable Cruise Accreditation Framework today at the 2026 IAPH World Ports Conference, held at the ICC Olympia in London.
Designed around the six key thematic areas of the IAPH World Ports Sustainability Programme (WPSP) and developed via the port members of the association's technical committee on Cruise – in collaboration with Lloyds Register Quality Assurance (LRQA) – the publication is a significant step towards the development of a Sustainable Cruise Port Accreditation Scheme to provide a clear, practical and globally relevant framework for assessing and recognising sustainability maturity across cruise ports.
Developed in consultation with industry partners, the scheme aims to respond to the need for a consistent approach that can support cruise ports in identifying areas for improvement, demonstrating progress and communicating their sustainability achievements to stakeholders. The document represents the first version of the scheme’s framework, outlining criteria, and respective indicators/requirements.
Taking the six key thematic areas of WPSP, it focuses primarily on the operational activities and initiatives of port authorities and cruise destination terminals. The scheme uses a tiered maturity approach, with each criterion assessed against bronze, silver and gold standards.
In 2027, the criteria will be shared cruise ports for further review and practical testing. As IAPH and the project partners determine the next steps for implementation, the framework will be further developed alongside the full accreditation and audit process, including consideration of independent verification to ensure the credibility and value of the scheme.
IAPH’s Sustainable Cruise Accreditation Framework: Pilot Edition can be viewed here.
IAPH Managing Director Patrick Verhoeven commented: “This pilot edition of the Sustainable Cruise Accreditation Framework marks the culmination of several years of work by IAPH’s cruise committee in collaboration with our industry partners. However, it is not the conclusion of the journey: IAPH’s long-term ambition is to establish a robust, practical and continually improving accreditation scheme that can support cruise ports in benchmarking their sustainability maturity and driving continuous improvement.”
IAPH Cruise committee chair and Cruisegate Hamburg Managing Director Simone Maraschi commented: “Ports and cruise terminals worldwide are making significant efforts towards a more sustainable future. Our ambition is to establish a globally recognised standard that makes these efforts visible, measurable and credible, while driving continuous improvement and creating long-lasting value for ports, destinations and their communities. My sincere thanks to the working group, participating ports and industry stakeholders for their valuable contributions and commitment throughout this process.”
About IAPH
About IAPH: Founded in 1955, the International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH) has developed into a global alliance of 216 port authorities as well as 188 port-related businesses. Comprised of over 101 different nationalities across the world’s continents, member ports handle over one third of the world’s sea-borne trade and well over 60% of the world container traffic. Since 1967, the Association has represented port authorities and operators as the official UN-recognized consultative NGO of the International Maritime Organization, fostering industry collaboration and excellence. IAPH leads global port industry initiatives on decarbonisation and energy transition, risk and resilience management, and accelerating digitalisation in the maritime transport chain. The IAPH’s World Ports Sustainability Program has grown into the reference database of best practices of ports applying the UN Sustainable Development Goals and integrating them into their businesses – iaphworldports.org.