Abstract
Port sustainability studies are increasing rapidly and are skewed toward environmental aspects, while at the same time their results are fragmented, making it difficult to collectively assess conclusions. This study, therefore, aims at building a framework which categorises port actions, measures, and implementation schemes (policy tools to improve the uptake), utilising the critical literature review method. Additionally, linkage of port sustainability to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) is highlighted. Port sustainability includes internal (port side) and external (ships and land transport) actions and measures. The study results form 16 homogeneous and interconnected sustainability categories, including a non-exhaustive list of operationalising measures, encompassing the three dimensions of sustainability (environment, economy and society) while implementation schemes are divided into four groups. Considering that ports are under scrutiny and perceiving growing pressure to improve their sustainable pathways, for example by addressing climate change and energy consumption, the identified ports’ sustainability actions and measures, including the linkage with the UN SDGs, are overarching and multidimensional and seen as a step in achieving far-reaching sustainable implementation. The study’s practical implications guide port policymakers and industry practitioners to go beyond the low hanging fruit (customary practices), and enable them to take reliable decisions for broader sustainability implementation. Additionally, the identified research implications stimulate further academic discussions.
Highlights
Ports play a central role in countries’ economic growth: they are essential to the wellbeing of humankind including the provision of direct and indirect employment (Roh et al.2016)
Given the pressure on ports to maintain sustainable performance including having a broader role in sustainable development, and given the aforementioned academic and practice gaps, this study aims at building a framework that aggregates the ports’ overall sustainability actions and measures, and identifies the implementation schemes that put into action the Triple bottom line (TBL) of sustainability in the landside and sea side
While the introduction has provided a background for this study and explained its relevance, the Section covers “Materials and methods”, “Literature review: building a port sustainability framework” Section covers the building of the port sustainability framework, “Internal and external ports’ sustainability actions and measures and the association with United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)” Section covers internal and external port sustainability actions and measures, “Linkage of port sustainability actions and measures to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs)” Section covers the actions’ and measures’ linkage to the UN SDGs, and “Discussions and conclusions” Section contains the discussion and conclusions
Summary
Ports play a central role in countries’ economic growth: they are essential to the wellbeing of humankind including the provision of direct and indirect employment (Roh et al.2016). The COVID-19 pandemic negatively influenced ports and shipping operations, and sustainable projects and performance (IMO 2020a; Notteboom and Pallis 2020a, 2020b; Alamoush et al 2021c), and slowed the progress of implementation of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) (IMO 2020b). Given the pressure on ports to maintain sustainable performance including having a broader role in sustainable development, and given the aforementioned academic and practice gaps, this study aims at building a framework that aggregates the ports’ overall sustainability actions and measures, and identifies the implementation schemes that put into action the TBLs of sustainability in the landside and sea side (i.e. internally and externally). While the introduction has provided a background for this study and explained its relevance, the Section covers “Materials and methods”, “Literature review: building a port sustainability framework” Section covers the building of the port sustainability framework (literature review), “Internal and external ports’ sustainability actions and measures and the association with SDGs” Section covers internal and external port sustainability actions and measures, “Linkage of port sustainability actions and measures to the UN SDGs” Section covers the actions’ and measures’ linkage to the UN SDGs, and “Discussions and conclusions” Section contains the discussion and conclusions
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