Mersin International Port (MIP) recently joined the Blue Climate Ambassadors Project, a programme aiming to raise awareness of the effects of climate change in Turkey and place leading women seafarers in the spotlight to develop sustainable solutions for environmental issues.

The Blue Climate Ambassadors Project is a joint initiative of the Turkish Port Operators Association (TÜRKLIM), the Turkish Marine Environment Protection Association (TURMEPA) and the Association of Women Engaged in International Maritime Trade (WISTA Turkey). The project was first launched in Antalya and subsequently in Mersin. Its next stops will be the Port of Izmir and the Port of Istanbul.

To kick off the project, TURMEPA gave port workers a Zero Waste Blue training hosted at the end of June 2022, that teaches them how to prevent and handle maritime waste. They also elaborated on how this knowledge can be applied specifically to the port and the region.

Subsequently, three ladies from MIP were selected as Blue Climate Ambassadors – namely Environmental Engineer Çiğdem Alkan, Equipment Engineer Nazlıcan Tümay and Senior HR Specialist Sevil Eren. They will take charge of providing climate change awareness training for all MIP employees in the coming year on topics such as zero waste, energy and water saving, carbon footprint reduction and plastic consumption reduction. They will also develop zero waste business solutions and climate change mitigation activities during this period.

The Blue Climate Ambassadors Project will also organise a large-scale coastal cleaning event for MIP employees in October 2022. The event will serve to clean up the port and the region and raise awareness about the pollution of our seas.

MIP General Manager Johan Van Daele expressed his support of the project, saying, “At MIP, we are proud to be part of this special project. Our port is constantly striving to create a more sustainable future through various initiatives and to make gender equality the norm. We are looking forward to working with the Blue Climate Ambassadors Project and our new ambassadors to continue the fight against pollution and climate change.”