Green Marine Lays Foundation for its New Global Structure

Green Marine International is the newly formed corporation and governance structure overseeing the Green Marine and Green Marine Europe environmental certification programs, the maritime industry’s voluntary initiatives to advance environmental excellence beyond regulations globally.

All Green Marine and Green Marine Europe participants are now Green Marine International members. Their respective certification requirements remain unchanged.

“It’s truly a momentous time in Green Marine’s history with this unique certification program that started out in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence region 17 years ago now extending across North America and merging across the Atlantic and beyond,” says Green Marine International’s President David Bolduc. “This new governance arrangement maintains the same commitment, rigor and transparency that has established Green Marine’s solid reputation and made Green Marine Europe’s launch four years ago a definite success.”

This new structure was the next logical step given the strong synergies between the programs, and Surfrider Foundation Europe’s licensing agreement to manage Green Marine Europe coming to an end this year. Surfrider Foundation will actively support Green Marine International after the full transition to the new governance by taking part in the committees involved the program’s continual review and development.

At Green Marine International’s first Annual General Meeting held on May 23, 2024, nine of the new board’s 12 directors were appointed:

Jan Allman, Fincantieri Marine Group’s Vice-President and General Manager

Björn Bijma, the CSL Group’s Executive Operations Officer

Isabelle Brassard, Fednav Ltd.’s Executive Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer

Claudine Couture-Trudel, QSL’s Vice-President ESG Policy and Future Initiatives

Daniel Dagenais, Transport Nanuk Inc. and NEAS Group Inc.’s President and CEO

Deborah DeLuca, the Duluth Seaway Port Authority’s Executive Director

Steve Nevey, Assistant Secretary for Washington State Ferries

Sean Pierce, Logistec’s CEO

Stephanie Jones Stebbins, Managing Director, Maritime at the Port of Seattle

Upon Green Marine Europe’s incorporation in France, three European directors will be appointed to the board of Green Marine International by the European membership.

“With Green Marine International, the organization is responding to requests from new maritime enterprises to become certified,” Bolduc says. “Green Marine International has a pilot project to include European ports in the program, as well as pilot projects to determine how the program might need to be adjusted to take into account specific regulations governing maritime operations in Australia and Latin America.”