Roundtable: Implementing the European Green Deal in Ports: Balancing between Sustainability and Economic Reality?

Moderator: Dr Giovanni Longo, University of Trieste, Italy

Thursday, 4 June 2026, 15.00 - 16.30 | Main Hall (Koper Regional Museum)

The European Green Deal places ports at the forefront of the transition towards climate neutrality, requiring significant investments in decarbonisation, environmental protection and sustainable infrastructure. At the same time, port authorities and logistics operators must safeguard their competitiveness within global supply chains. In contrast, port cities and local communities increasingly demand improved environmental performance and quality of life. Governments introduce binding regulatory frameworks under the Green Deal and related initiatives, yet public funding remains limited and unevenly distributed. This roundtable addresses port sustainability as a multidimensional challenge encompassing environmental, societal, technical, and legal dimensions. Bringing together representatives of port authorities, logistics operators, municipalities and business associations, the discussion focuses on governance mechanisms and cost-allocation models. The aim is to identify cooperative, financially viable pathways to sustainability without undermining economic resilience.