Sustainable Strategies for Ports and Maritime Logistics: A Methodological Approach to Green Transition

Abstract

Ports represent the point of intersection between sea and land, as well as a crucial node for the integration of maritime and land transport in the global logistics chain. Consequently, it is crucial to consider an articulated system that includes dry ports, freight interchange and intermodal logistics platforms, since the relationships between the port and the city, as well as those between the different decision-makers involved, are multiple and complex. Maritime transport and port operations have a direct and indirect impact on the surrounding contexts, with significant effects, particularly from an environmental point of view. Therefore, the green transition in logistics, port, and maritime systems is essential for reducing these impacts. In this context, the aspects related to operational practices and terminal design are of great importance. This paper aims to explore sustainable strategies for ports and maritime logistics in order to provide a methodological approach to green transition. The proposed methodology was divided into phases. First, an analysis of international and European legislation was conducted in order to identify the main critical issues. Subsequently, a review of the existing literature and best practices was carried out to identify tested solutions. The third phase included a Stakeholder Engagement Process, centred on the use of a thematic focus group to foster a collaborative approach to the definition of priorities and operational strategies. Part of the proposed methodology was implemented as part of the DEMASTER—Design of Maritime Sustainable Terminals—project, and it can allow for the evaluation of the different options and the identification of more effective and innovative solutions for the green transition.

1. Introduction

Maritime transport is a crucial sector supporting the worldwide economy and ports are strategic elements within the global logistics chain because they play a key role in the integration of different goods handling systems. In fact, in addition to being the connection points between sea and land transport, their functioning extends to a complex network of infrastructures involved, including inland ports, freight interchange, and intermodal logistics platforms, which ensure the continuity of trade flows and the efficient distribution of goods to their final destinations.

The interaction between the port and its surrounding context is highly relevant, as port activities directly influence the city in economic, social, and environmental terms. This creates development opportunities but also challenges related to sustainability and land management. In fact, maritime transport and port operations often generate significant impacts, both direct and indirect, on the environment and local communities.

For this reason, the transition towards more sustainable models in the maritime, port, and logistics sectors is an inevitable necessity to mitigate the negative impacts and foster a balance between economic development and environmental protection.

Thus, this paper aims to explore sustainable strategies for ports and maritime logistics in order to provide a methodological approach to green transition. The proposed methodology was articulated in several steps, described in Section 3.

2. State of the Art

In the field of transport, it is now well established that ports are key links in the global logistics chain, capable of offering innovative and competitive transport services. In fact, today, they attract not only goods traffic, but also an important flow of people, linked to both the cruise and pleasure boating sectors, both of which are still expanding rapidly, and passenger traffic. However, ports and maritime logistics also have a significant environmental impact. These impacts, defined in the literature as externalities or external costs paid by the community, are congestion [1], pollution (noise and atmospheric), accidents, consumption of non-renewable energy sources, and land loss. Critical issues also arise from the increase in road transport caused by hinterland handling operations [2], including both traffic related to production and the consumption of goods [3] that the traffic generated by transshipment operations in ports [4].

The relations between the port system, the urban system, and the territory are conditioned by a multiplicity of interrelated factors. Evolutions in technological and transport processes, market trends, the decisions of local players, reference strategies, and the historical, cultural, and morphological conditions of the sites are, in fact, just some of the factors that affect the organisation of port areas and their relations with the surrounding contexts.

The importance of adopting sustainable strategies in the port and maritime logistics context has been widely recognised in recent decades, especially in view of the growing environmental concerns associated with maritime transport. In this context, the transition towards greener practices is not only desirable but necessary. Indeed, the maritime sector is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, necessitating innovative strategies to address this issue. In 2022, according to data from the International Energy Agency (IEA), international maritime transport contributed around 2% of global CO₂ emissions. Considering the transport sector alone, maritime traffic accounted for around 11% of total emissions. Ports, often located in highly urbanised areas, face challenges related to sustainability and coexistence with local communities, which may raise concerns and resistance due to the environmental impacts and pollution generated by port activities [5]. A substantial increase in the number of operating ships, new ports, and routes around the world is expected due to trade facilitation initiatives supported by the World Trade Organisation [6]. Adaptation to climate change will therefore play an increasingly important role in global trade. Recent developments in the maritime sector, such as the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and minimise other environmental externalities, have posed significant challenges for the shipping industry. Thus, sustainable strategies are necessary to address this challenge and facilitate a green transition.

In the international ambit, the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), a globally recognised regulatory body, has long been actively engaged in defining strategies for decarbonising the maritime sector. In 2018, it introduced its ‘Initial Strategy,’ which was subsequently updated in 2023. The goal of this strategy is to achieve decarbonization by, or around, 2050. Subsequently, in November 2022 during COP27, the United Nations Climate Change Conference held in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, the Green Shipping Challenge was launched to encourage countries, ports, companies, and other actors to make a more sustainable transition during this decade, in line with the goal of limiting the global temperature increase of 1.5 °C. These measures aim to rapidly counteract the carbon intensity that is likely to increase otherwise and avoid possible negative effects on trade and economic growth driven by maritime transport. Indeed, as the mode of transport with the lowest environmental impact and the lowest level of carbon emissions per unit of cargo moved, maritime transport is an essential pillar for sustainable economic development. Through integration with other modes of transport, shipping plays a decisive role in global trade, contributing significantly to the achievement of several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) promoted by the United Nations [7]. In particular, the main interconnections are with SDGs 3 (Good Health and Well-Being), 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure), 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), and 13 (Climate Action), which propose crucial targets, including energy efficiency, developing resilient infrastructure, promoting health, and combating climate change. In addition to reducing CO₂ emissions from the maritime sector to a rate compatible with the Paris Agreement, they include protecting citizens from harmful exposure to airborne pollutants reducing pressure on roads in port-city areas, which are unable to absorb increasing traffic; promoting sustainable multimodal freight mobility, and mitigating relevant adaptation measures [8]. Therefore, it is essential not only to improve and innovate strategies to make ports more sustainable and accessible, but also to foster the development and redevelopment of adjacent urban areas, ensuring adequate integration between port infrastructure and urban contexts [9,10,11].

At European level, within the European Green Deal, the European Commission in the ‘Fit for 55’ package, adopted in July 2021, fundamentally revised EU energy and climate policies to reduce emissions by 55% by 2030, instead of 40%, compared to 1990 levels, and to achieve climate neutrality by 2050. The initiatives of the package include the new Regulation (EU) 2023/1804 on the deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure [12], applicable since 13 April 2024, which aims to guarantee minimum infrastructure, support the required uptake of alternative fuel vehicles across all transport modes, and insure full interoperability of the infrastructure; with regard to maritime transport, the regulation sets targets for the supply of electricity to ships in ports and contains provisions to ensure an adequate number of liquefied natural gas refuelling points in TEN-T seaport. Other actions are the new Regulation (EU) 2023/1805 for the decarbonisation of the maritime sector, the FuelEU Maritime [13], that contains as one of its main provisions the obligation for passenger ships and container ships to connect to shore-side power supply for their electricity needs while at berth in major EU ports from 2030 onwards (from 2035 also to the rest of European ports); the Renewable Energy Directive, which comes into effect in November 2023 and aims to increase the EU’s production of electricity from offshore renewable energy sources in the transport sector; the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS), which sets a cap that determines the maximum amount of emissions allowed on European territory in the sectors concerned to which an equivalent number of ‘allowances’ (EUR/tonne of CO₂) corresponds. The EU ETS is extended to maritime transport to cover CO₂ emissions from ships over 5000 gt that must pay according to the current market price of carbon.

In addition, as of 1 May 2025, the Mediterranean Sea will become an Emission Control Area (ECA), where special mandatory measures for ship emissions are required to prevent, reduce, and monitor air pollution by NOx or SOx and particulate matter (PM). In particular, this legislation will lead to the adoption of low-sulphur fuels because the maximum sulphur content in marine fuels will be reduced from the current limit of 0.5 per cent to 0.1 per cent; thus, it is a crucial step in improving air quality in the region, as it will help reduce emissions into the sea, air pollution, and its impacts on public health.

The transition to decarbonisation and energy management is essential to meet increasingly stringent regulations, requiring innovative long-term solutions. Thus, ports and maritime logistics must adopt sustainable strategies and incorporate them in all operations [6]. Sustainability has become a key goal for supply chains aiming to remain competitive in the long term; ports are a vital part of maritime transportation and supply chains, and it is widely recognised that environmental sustainability is a competitive factor among ports [14,15]. Emerging green technologies, in addition to being crucial for reducing emissions and improving operational efficiency, can contribute to greater operational resilience, which is crucial for modern port dynamics. The exploration of cleaner fuels offers opportunities to comply with increasingly stringent environmental regulations, highlighting the need for synergies throughout the supply chain [16]. In terms of green ports, cold ironing (CI) is one of the key points of the green port strategy [17,18,19], along with the use scrubbers to keep emission levels down [20]. Govindan et al., in a recent research, identify the main research challenges to enable the transition to net-zero shipping, highlighting four priorities—cost–benefit analysis of port initiatives, investment in carbon capture technologies and alternative fuels, the development of green corridors and carbon pricing mechanisms—as these are considered crucial areas to drive policy and research towards an effective and equitable transition [21].

Although port measures exist to support emission reduction, according to Alamoush et al., current incentives are complex and ineffective. Therefore, they proposed a seven-action framework for a common incentive scheme in 2022, aimed at overcoming existing bottlenecks and aligning with future IMO regulations [22].

Finally, recent studies highlight the importance of technological innovation, new routes, and financial dynamics in the global maritime sector. Digitisation supports the green transition of ports, while the Arctic North Sea Route offers strategic opportunities for non-polar countries. In parallel, Chinese futures trends prove to be a key indicator for predicting containerised transport dynamics, providing advanced predictive tools for industry management and planning [23,24,25].

Therefore, coordinated actions are needed to ensure that ports and maritime logistics can contribute effectively to the ecological transition.

3. Methodology

To identify the main sustainable strategies for ports and maritime logistics, the proposed methodology was divided into phases. First, an analysis of international and European legislation was conducted in order to identify the main critical issues. Subsequently, a review of the existing literature and best practices was carried out to identify tested solutions. The third phase included a qualitative research approach, centred on the use of thematic focus group of stakeholders to foster a collaborative approach to the definition of priorities and operational strategies, ensuring support and alignment between stakeholders.

Figure 1 shows the different phases of the implemented methodology.

3.1. Different Phases of the Implemented Methodology

3.1.1. Identification of Critical Issues and Tested Solutions

Initially, an analysis of international and European legislation was conducted to identify the main critical issues (

Table 1. Main critical issues.

Critical Issue	Description
High greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions	Maritime transport is a major contributor to global CO2 emissions (~2% globally), requiring urgent decarbonization strategies (IMO Initial Strategy 2018/2023; COP27 Green Shipping Challenge).
Insufficient shore-side electrification	Lack of widespread shore power facilities to allow ships to connect to electricity while at berth, addressed by EU Regulation 2023/1805 (FuelEU Maritime).
Dependence on fossil fuels	Continued use of heavy fuels with high carbon and sulphur content, targeted by initiatives promoting alternative fuels (EU Regulation 2023/1804; Renewable Energy Directive 2023 [26]).
Air pollution from ships	Significant emissions of NOx, SOx, and PM affecting port cities, increasing complexity and stringency of environmental regulations (EU ETS extension to maritime transport; Fit for 55 Package), requiring ports and shipping companies to comply with strict emission limits.
Port Accessibility	Poor port accessibility can significantly hinder the operational efficiency and environmental sustainability of port activities, as well as strain relations with surrounding urban communities.
Challenges in port-city coexistence	Environmental impacts of port activities (air and noise pollution) causing tension with urban communities, highlighting the need for better integration policies (European Green Deal, SDGs).
Need for climate change adaptation	Ports must adapt infrastructures to face the effects of climate change and extreme weather events, in line with IMO guidelines and EU climate strategies.

).

In the next phase, a careful review of the existing literature and best practices was conducted to identify proven solutions (

Table 2. Tested solutions.

Critical Issue	Tested Solution	Best Practices/References
High GHG emissions from ships	Adoption of alternative fuels; electrification of vessels; slow steaming policies.	[7,13,16]
Air pollution in port cities	Shore-side electricity (cold ironing) implementation; use of low-sulphur fuels; port emission control measures (Mediterranean ECA).	[13,17,18,19,20]
Dependence on fossil fuels	Deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure (onshore LNG bunkering, green hydrogen production hubs).	[12,26]
Congestion in port areas	Development of intermodal freight corridors; Port Community Systems (PCS) to optimise cargo flow.	[1,4,8,27]
Port-city environmental conflicts	Establishment of buffer zones; urban regeneration of waterfronts; shared governance models between port and city authorities.	[9,10,28]
Port Accessibility	Port accessibility is crucial for balancing operational efficiency and urban integration to avoid conflicts with the city and maximise economic and environmental benefits. This issue becomes particularly critical when considering the integration of inland logistics, such as dry ports and intermodal connections.	[2,3,8,11]
Climate change risks to ports	Resilient infrastructure projects (elevated terminals, flood defences); climate risk assessment tools for port planning.	[5,6]
Regulatory compliance difficulties	Implementation of Environmental Management Systems (EMS) in ports; ISO 14001 and EcoPorts certification programmes.	[14,29]
Low operational energy efficiency	Smart port initiatives: IoT monitoring, AI-based logistics optimisation, digital twins for port operations.	[6,17,30]

) that can guide the green transition.

3.1.2. Stakeholder Engagement Process

Part of the proposed methodology was implemented as part of the DEMASTER—Design of Maritime Sustainable Terminals—project, which selected a group of stakeholders and actively involved them to foster a collaborative approach to defining priorities and operational strategies. This method allowed participants to focus on possible Sustainable Strategies for Ports and Maritime Logistics, while enabling researchers to gather a rich qualitative overview of practical challenges and strategic opportunities related to the green transition. To ensure a wide range of perspectives, participants were carefully selected based on their specific functions and influence within the port ecosystem.

The methodology was applied in the ports of Catania, Augusta, Koper, and Bar. In each port, a thematic focus group was established, involving potential stakeholders to better define and refine the strategic objectives. The group was composed of one representative from each of the following categories:

• Port authorities and terminal operators.
• Shipping and logistics companies (including ship owners and cargo operators).
• Trade and professional associations.
• Urban planners and environmental consultants.
• Representatives of civil society, including citizen groups.

All were submitted a questionnaire consisting of 10 questions on the following topics: main operational efficiency, environmental sustainability, connectivity and infrastructure, digital technologies and automation, resilience to future challenges, economic enhancement, and involvement of local communities. In addition, meetings were organised with stakeholders, or some of them.

Subsequently, the collected responses were aggregated and organised by stakeholders in order to facilitate comparative analysis and improve the readability and interpretation of the results.

The choice of this heterogeneous group of experts ensured that both the needs of institutions and operators and the interests of the community were taken into account. This approach helped to identify solutions that balance efficiency, sustainability, and social impact.

Table 3. Priorities and operational strategies identified by stakeholder category.

Stakeholder Category	Priorities	Operational Strategies
Maritime Stakeholders	- Environmental sustainability - Infrastructure digitalization - Operational efficiency - Reduction in GHG emissions	- Automation of terminals and handling equipment - Full implementation of cold ironing - Adoption of low-emission technologies for ships and equipment - Use of alternative fuels
Operational/Logistics Stakeholders	- Enhancing road and rail connectivity - Climate resilience of infrastructures - Full shore-side electrification - Decarbonization of the supply chain	- Development of green intermodal hubs - Deployment of collaborative digital platforms - Integration of renewable energy in terminal operations - Air quality/noise monitoring systems
Institutional/Public Stakeholders	- Port decarbonization - Integrated land-use planning and Port-city integration - Air/noise pollution mitigation policies - Incentives for energy transition - Need for integrated land-use planning to reduce urban-port conflicts	- Update of Port Master Plans with net-zero targets - Mandatory shore-side electrification programmes - Creation of consultation tables on GHG policies - Development of maritime “green corridors” - Development of low-emission zones
Social/End-User Stakeholders	- Air quality improvement - Sustainable tourism development - Reduction in urban traffic and air/noise pollution - Strong demand for transparency, participatory processes - Concerns about health impacts from emissions and port traffic	- Establishing permanent stakeholder engagement forums - Implementing mitigation strategies like green belts, noise barriers, and cleaner urban-port interfaces - Improving eco-friendly public transport - Integrated port–city cycling networks - Public environmental monitoring programmes - Promotion of public information and awareness

shows the results of the stakeholder engagement process.

4. Discussion

The green transition of ports and maritime logistics is crucial for mitigating their negative environmental impacts. Among the main critical issues that emerged were GHG emissions, dependence on fossil fuels, air pollution from ships, port accessibility, and poor integration between ports and cities. These issues are closely linked to the growing pressure to reduce the environmental impact of maritime transport and logistics and the European sustainability policies that aim to limit their ecological footprint.

In response to these issues, the tested solutions identified through a review of the existing literature and the analysis of best practices mainly focused on the adoption of green technologies such as cold ironing, dock electrification, and the use of renewable energy for land-based operations such as container handling equipment. Digitalisation is undoubtedly a cross-cutting solution for optimising operations and reducing energy consumption, along with automation that has improved operational efficiency, reducing both waiting times and vehicle traffic. These solutions not only meet operational efficiency needs, but also contribute significantly to environmental sustainability by directly addressing the externalities of maritime transport related to pollution and carbon footprint.

The strategies identified by the participants reflect the importance of an integrated approach that balances operational priorities with environmental and social needs. Among the main strategies that emerged were the promotion of intermodality and rail links to reduce road traffic and improve connectivity between ports and the rest of the territory. Another key point was the resilience of port infrastructure, with a focus on climate change adaptation and cybersecurity to ensure operational safety and data protection in an increasingly digitalised environment. Sustainability was recognised as a central priority, with the continued strengthening of green practices through the enhancement of emission management technologies and the promotion of green transport.

Therefore, the collaborative and thematic approach facilitated the identification of concrete solutions for the main issues, succeeding in integrating both economic and operational as well as environmental and social needs. The strategies that emerged point to a path of transformation towards more sustainable, resilient and digitised ports and maritime logistics, capable of responding to future challenges with innovative and integrated solutions.

5. Conclusions

The results highlight the effectiveness of a participatory and thematic approach through which a variety of perspectives were brought together to enrich the understanding of possible sustainable strategies for ports and maritime logistics. Thus, this methodology can allow for the evaluation of different options and the identification of more effective and innovative solutions for the green transition.

Thus, a possible future development of the research could be a comparative analysis of the effectiveness, feasibility, and costs of the proposed strategies, as well as their trade-offs and barriers to implementation, is an important future development to enrich understanding and support more informed decisions in the port context. In addition, another possible future development of the work could be the introduction of analytical tools such as a priority matrix or a multi-criteria decision analysis approach (MCDA) to structure, justify, and make more transparent the integration of qualitative contributions in the definition of strategies.