Decarbonization of Maritime Logistics and Global Supply Chains

Dear Colleagues,

Global trade is essential to the economies of the world, and 80% of international trade depends on movement by sea from port to port. This portion of the shipping value chain is responsible for 3% of global GHG emissions. If Global shipping were a country, it would rank among the world’s top six emitters of climate-harming greenhouse gases (GHGs).

As a result, maritime transport faces increasing pressure to transition toward low-carbon, net-zero operations. Regulatory frameworks such as the IMO GHG Strategy, EU ETS extensions to shipping and the global transport network, as well as evolving market expectations, are pushing shipowners, shippers, cargo interests, ports, and logistics providers to consider and adopt innovative decarbonisation pathways to comply with and address the issue. Additionally, the world’s fifth-largest economy, the State of California, has set January 2026 as the date for some of the most comprehensive reporting by companies on greenhouse gas emissions from scopes 1, 2, and 3. In the Netherlands, major trading hubs like Rotterdam have set a clear goal to become Europe's green shipping hub.

The Special Issue of the journal is aimed at providing an outlet for high-quality papers investigating the interplay between technology, operations, economics, environmental performance, and governance in the global challenge of decarbonisation and the net-zero target for maritime logistics and global supply chains. We welcome theoretical, empirical, computational, and policy-oriented papers that address the complex issue of decarbonising maritime logistics and supply chains.

Topics of Interest

Topics include, but are not limited to:

Decarbonisation Technologies and Fuels

• Alternative fuels (e.g., LNG, methanol, ammonia, hydrogen, biofuels);
• Electrification, hybrid propulsion, wind-assist, and energy-saving devices;
• Emission monitoring, carbon accounting, and digital sustainability tools.

Green Maritime Operations and Logistics

• Voyage optimisation, speed reduction strategies, and weather routing;
• Port call optimisation, just-in-time arrival, green port logistics;
• Carbon-efficient fleet deployment and chartering strategies;
• Port decarbonization strategies for moored vessels, port equipment, and vessels.

Policy, Regulation, and Market-Based Measures

• EU ETS for maritime, FuelEU Maritime, IMO GHG strategies;
• Regional and local policies, such as the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, operate under a joint Clean Air Action Plan (CAAP);
• Carbon pricing, cap-and-trade, emissions trading, offsetting schemes;
• Impacts on freight markets, ship finance, and value chain stakeholders.

Sustainable Supply Chain and Trade Implications

• Decarbonisation-driven shifts in global supply chains;
• Lifecycle analysis and well-to-wake emissions assessment;
• Collaboration models among shippers, carriers, and ports.

Digitalisation and Data-Driven Decarbonisation

• AI, machine learning, digital twins, and advanced analytics;
• Blockchain-based emissions tracking;
• Predictive models for energy efficiency and fleet emissions.

Transition Economics and Investment Decisions

• Green shipping finance, ESG ratings, and transition pathways;
• Risk analysis, cost–benefit evaluation, and market forecasting;
• Innovation management and adoption dynamics.

All submissions will undergo a rigorous double-blind peer review in accordance with the journal’s quality standards. Both full research articles and short communications are welcome.

Prof. Dr. Amir Alizadeh-Masoodian
Prof. Dr. Jay Golden
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Logistics is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• decarbonisation technologies and fuels
• green maritime operations & logistics
• policy, regulation & market-based measures
• sustainable supply chain and trade implications
• digitalisation and data-driven decarbonisation
• transition economics & investment decisions