Green practices in port authority management: A multiple case study

Abstract

Port management is one of the most important economic pillars in maritime countries, where business players - such as port authorities, shippers, carriers, terminals, etc. - are called to undertake a virtuous process of economic development, respectful of the environment. This means achieving a sustainable growth, supported by green actions for environmental protection to improve corporate social responsibility. Coherently, the authors analyzed the role of Port Authorities (PAs) in adopting a socially responsible behavior, taking into consideration economic, environmental and societal expectations of all stakeholders in port logistics and management. For this purpose, in this work was adopted a multiple case study analysis to comparatively evaluate the green practices of PA enabling a sustainable growth, trying to explain: a. if there is a single or multiple stakeholders involvement in PA’s green strategies; b. what are the key green practices in port management; c. if there is a proactive or reactive approach to define green practices. In the empirical research were selected four representative PAs with a strong attitude towards green practices - Hong Kong (Asia), Antwerp (Northern Europe), Barcelona (Southern Europe) and Los Angeles (USA) - located in different geographical areas.