Sustainable Development in Green Maritime Transportation and Port Management
A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Transportation".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 March 2027 | Viewed by 117
Special Issue Editor
Interests: maritime transport; maritime policy and governance; sustainable shipping; digital transformation in maritime industries; ESG and maritime sustainability reporting; maritime safety and risk management
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The global maritime industry is currently undergoing a profound structural transformation driven by climate policy commitments, technological innovation, and evolving sustainability governance frameworks. International regulatory initiatives led by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), together with regional policy instruments such as the European Union’s Green Deal, EU ETS, and FuelEU Maritime, are accelerating the transition toward low-carbon maritime transport systems. In this context, shipping companies, shipyards, and port authorities are increasingly required to integrate environmental performance, financial transparency, and governance accountability into their operational and strategic decision-making processes.
The decarbonization of maritime transport has become a central policy and industrial objective. The adoption of alternative marine fuels—including ammonia, hydrogen, methanol, and LNG—combined with advances in energy-efficient vessel design and digital monitoring systems is reshaping the technological trajectory of shipbuilding and maritime operations. Shipyards are developing next-generation green vessels incorporating advanced propulsion technologies, lifecycle environmental management, and digital performance monitoring. At the same time, ports are evolving into green logistics hubs through shore power systems, electrified cargo handling equipment, smart port infrastructure, and integrated environmental management systems.
Alongside technological innovation, sustainability in maritime industries increasingly requires robust governance structures and transparent disclosure practices. ESG-oriented corporate governance and sustainability reporting frameworks—such as the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB) standards and related global sustainability disclosure systems—are becoming essential mechanisms for improving transparency, comparability, and accountability across maritime value chains. For both shipbuilding companies and shipping operators, transparent financial and sustainability reporting strengthens investor confidence, enhances risk management, and supports long-term industrial competitiveness.
This Special Issue aims to provide a multidisciplinary platform for examining the pathways toward sustainable maritime transportation and green port management from technological, economic, regulatory, and governance perspectives. We encourage the submission of contributions addressing green ship technologies, maritime decarbonization strategies, sustainable shipbuilding innovation, ESG-based maritime governance, sustainability disclosure frameworks, financial transparency in maritime industries, and the integration of environmental and operational data in maritime decision-making. By bringing together research across shipping, shipbuilding, and port sectors, this Special Issue seeks to deepen our understanding of how maritime industries can achieve environmental sustainability while ensuring transparency, regulatory compliance, and long-term economic resilience.
Prof. Dr. Chang-Hee Lee
Guest Editor
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. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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 2400 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.
Keywords
- green shipping
- maritime decarbonization
- sustainable shipbuilding
- maritime ESG governance
- sustainability disclosure and transparency
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