Transportation Engineering-Green port strategies in China

Du, Ke

Abstract

In responding to the increasing challenges from both global climate change and local air pollution, environmental strategies are increasingly applied by ports in many developed countries, either independently by ports or as part of a national transport strategy. Their effectiveness has been successfully evidenced with significant emissions savings from the port sector, although some ports remain reluctant due to the increased costs for their users and potential loss of traffic. For developing countries, this conflict between port competitiveness and environmental protection is even sharper. Therefore, recognising that green port strategies are not “one size fits all”, the question of how to transfer successful green port strategies from developed to developing countries remains unanswered.
This thesis aims to understand the gap between developed and developing countries in green port strategy application by analysis of ports in China. China was chosen on the basis that, while still classed as a developing country, China’s rapid economic development and world-leading ports position the country as a bridge between developed and developing countries. Green port strategies already employed in developed countries are used as the basis for semi-structured interviews undertaken at two leading ports in China that are considered pioneers in their green port management.
Results show that the green port strategies applied in the ports were investment in intermodal transport connections and dry ports in the hinterland, reducing waste, dust and noise and to a lesser extent emissions of port activities and a limited application of cold ironing. This situation is similar to ports in developed countries, who also prefer to act on the issues under their control, first actions within the port and second the intermodal connections, but least motivated to take action against carriers. Future research needs to focus on how ports can incentivise greener practices by vessels in the port area and better align these to the profit motive.

Citation

Du, K. Transportation Engineering-Green port strategies in China. (Thesis). Edinburgh Napier University. http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/Output/2383378

• Thesis Type: Thesis
• Deposit Date: Dec 9, 2019
• Publicly Available Date: Dec 9, 2019
• Keywords: green port strategies; transport strategy; China; ports
• Public URL: http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/Output/2383378
• Award Date: Oct 31, 2019