Integration of Eco-centric Views of Sustainability in Port Planning

Xiaofang Wu,Hsi-Chi Yang,Luoping Zhang

doi:10.3390/su12072971

Abstract

The sustainability approach commits to conserving natural resources and biodiversity. In ports, many efforts that encourage improvement in sustainability exist, such as sustainable ports, eco-ports, or green ports. However, whether the current planning approaches for sustainable ports, eco-ports, and green ports can effectively achieve sustainability remains a question. This study aims to discuss this issue through a literature review. The main findings include (1) the current sustainable port planning following the ambitions of sustainable development and aiming to fulfill this generation’s needs; (2) the eco-port planning approaches emphasizing environmental protection; (3) the planning approaches for green ports that have emerged within environmental management and give attention to the ecological issues; (4) all of the three approaches prioritizing environmental issues. We argue for the integration of eco-centric views for sustainability in port planning from a maritime supply chain perspective, and based on this, the concept of the green port is proposed. This study provides broad and mindful information regarding port sustainability education and can help foster innovation in order to face the challenges in sustainability.

Highlights

Sustainability, the need to ensure a future for the Earth [1], emerged as the perpetuation and enhancement of the natural ecosystem in the 1970s [2]
As with eco-ports, the European Sea Ports Organization (ESPO) initiated a project entitled EcoPorts, which emerged as a port that coexisted with the environment [20], and highlighted the awareness of environmental protection and the improvement of environmental management [14,20]
This study contributes to the review and discusses the existing representative sustainability approaches for port planning

Summary

Introduction

Sustainability, the need to ensure a future for the Earth [1], emerged as the perpetuation and enhancement of the natural ecosystem in the 1970s [2]. Understanding the fact that the natural environment and resources are fundamental for human existence and development, this eco-centric approach became a key move towards sustainability [6]. Human activities must be connected in order to conserve natural resources and biodiversity as a result of the changing environment and the loss of biodiversity [5,7]. Taking the case of maritime activities, the World Association for Waterborne Infrastructure (PIANC) laid stress on the “working with nature philosophy” to exploit the ecosystem-based solutions for sustainability [8]

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