Strategic change reflects the growing importance of IAPH’s advocacy at regulatory level, and puts sustainability at the heart of its work programme
IAPH is pleased to announce a change in its Europe-based team: Rhona Macdonald is promoted to the position of Senior Sustainability Advisor & IMO Liaison Officer.
In her new role, Rhona will have greater oversight of, and input to, IAPH’s critical sustainability initiatives and policy work, while also continuing to represent IAPH at meetings of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO). Rhona will continue to manage a dual role with the British Ports Association (BPA).
In recent years, Rhona has been relied upon as IAPH’s ‘IMO explainer,’ providing essential regulatory briefings to the membership through a variety of channels, including at in-person and digital events as well as in print. Via her sustainability expertise, she has also provided invaluable support to IAPH’s Climate & Energy and Risk & Resilience technical committees and to the assessment of projects submitted to the association’s World Ports Sustainability Program database. Meanwhile, in her work for the BPA, Rhona built the Net Zero Maturity Assessment Tool, a self-assessment and benchmarking tool to measure ports progress towards Net Zero.
Rhona joined the IAPH and BPA in April 2021, following completing an MSc in Sustainability and Environmental Studies.
“Rhona has become an invaluable member of the team over the past five years,” IAPH managing director Patrick Verhoeven said. “Her regulatory briefings to members – during conferences, webinars, committee meetings, and through our digital communications – have become an essential resource for helping IAPH’s members to understand both what is taking place at the IMO and how it might affect them. We wish Rhona every success in her expanded senior role as she brings her sustainability expertise to bear on more of our critical tools and projects.”
About IAPH
Founded in 1955, the International Association of Ports and Harbors (IAPH) has developed into a global alliance of 201 port authorities as well as 175 port-related businesses. Comprised of over 94 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. 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.