A comparative analysis of CSR disclosure of Polish and selected foreign seaports

Abstract

In recent years, there has been a growth in interest around the concept of corporate social responsibility (CSR) at seaports. Increasingly, port companies publish their social responsibility policies and the results of their implementation. The following article contains the results of comparative analysis of the ecological and social responsibility of Polish seaports, which are of key importance for the national economy, with the ports of Hamburg and Antwerp as a benchmark. The data used in the article comes from annual reports, official websites, information brochures and interviews with port representatives. The criteria used in the analysis were devised based on selected Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) guidelines and the Sustainable Development Goals as defined in Transforming Our World – the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The aim of this article is to determine whether and in which areas seaports in Gdańsk, Gdynia, Szczecin and Świnoujście are socially responsible, and to identify any shortcomings - providing insights which may be useful for entities managing these ports. The study found that the authorities of the most important Polish seaports are socially responsible, but also that the activities undertaken as part of CSR are on a smaller scale than in the ports of Antwerp and Hamburg.