Green ports adopt environmental management practices related to resource use, waste management and protection of the port environment. Meanwhile, the blue approach encompasses the conservation of marine and coastal ecosystems, including water monitoring and species protection.
In Mexico, several National Port System Administrations (ASIPONAs) carry out environmental initiatives. These include Ensenada, Veracruz and Manzanillo, with programs involving reforestation, environmental monitoring and biodiversity conservation.
The Port of Ensenada, in Baja California, was the first in Mexico to obtain the PERS (Port Environmental Review System) environmental certification from EcoPorts, according to its port authority. This recognition is associated with practices involving water, energy, waste and emissions management. ASIPONA published a 2024 environmental report as part of the certification renewal process.
At the Port of Veracruz, the ASIPONA Verde project includes reforestation, plant donations and environmental education activities. According to an official presentation from March 2026, the program had exceeded 4 million donated plants and had three Environmental Management Units (UMAs). The port authority also reported plant donation and environmental education activities carried out during 2026.
Meanwhile, the ASIPONA Azul designation, integrated into the ASIPONA Verde initiative, identifies activities aimed at protecting the marine environment. Its areas of action include monitoring reefs in the Veracruz Reef System National Park, coral conservation, pollution prevention and the planting of Thalassia testudinum, a species of seagrass.
At the Port of Manzanillo, in Colima, ASIPONA carries out mangrove reforestation work in the Cuyutlán Lagoon. In February 2026, it reported having 27,157 white and red mangrove seedlings under development in its nursery. In May of the same year, it documented a planting activity involving 169 red mangrove seedlings along the lagoon's shores.
The initiatives in Ensenada, Veracruz and Manzanillo are examples of environmental measures documented at Mexican ports. Other port authorities, such as ASIPONA Altamira, have also published environmental management programs, although the activities and their implementation periods vary among ports.
