Puerto Banús, Port Hercules and Saint-Tropez: the Mediterranean marinas most committed to sustainable development

Under the title ‘Marbella: Sustainability in Mediterranean Marinas’, Puerto Banús will host a conference on 21 October, bringing together experts, authorities and industry leaders to share experiences, actions and strategies developed by luxury marinas across the Mediterranean. The aim is to continue advancing towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The event will take place at Club de Mar and Terraza 1970. The opening session will feature Marbella’s mayor, Ángeles Muñoz, and the CEO of Puerto Banús, Juan Núñez Insausti. It will also include a message from Prince Albert II of Monaco. The day will be structured around a presentation of studies and two roundtables with experts, including Julio Andrade, Head of UNITAR (United Nations) in Málaga.

During the conference, it will be confirmed that Puerto Banús, Port Hercules (Monaco) and Saint-Tropez (France) are the three Mediterranean marinas most committed to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. This is particularly true of SDG 12, which promotes sustainable waste management, and SDG 14, which involves adopting measures and projects that directly help conserve the marine environment, as well as through various environmental education initiatives.

Regarding SDG 12, Puerto Banús has shown a clear commitment to reducing the use of materials, especially plastics. Since 2020, all its lease contracts have included a clause requiring the use of sustainable materials.

As for SDG 14, Puerto Banús stands out for its work in protecting and regenerating biodiversity. Since 2023, it has been developing a project to assess the state of marine biodiversity within the port, with the aim of building a database to support the future creation of a new protection category called the Refugio Marino Portuario (Marine Port Refuge).

The idea of a marina taking the initiative to promote a protection category within its own facilities marks a significant shift from the traditional public image of this kind of business.