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The Role of Seaports in Green Supply Chain Management: Initiatives, Attitudes, and Perspectives in Rotterdam, Antwerp, North Sea Port, and Zeebrugge

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  • Theo Notteboom

    (Center for Eurasian Maritime and Inland Logistics (CEMIL), Shanghai Maritime University, Shanghai 201306, China
    Maritime Institute, Faculty of Law and Criminology, Ghent University, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
    Faculty of Business and Economics, University of Antwerp, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium
    Antwerp Maritime Academy, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium)

  • Larissa van der Lugt

    (Erasmus Centre for Urban, Port and Transport Economics (Erasmus UPT), 3062 PA Rotterdam, The Netherlands)

  • Niels van Saase

    (Erasmus Centre for Urban, Port and Transport Economics (Erasmus UPT), 3062 PA Rotterdam, The Netherlands)

  • Steve Sel

    (VIL—Flanders Innovation Cluster for Logistics, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium)

  • Kris Neyens

    (VIL—Flanders Innovation Cluster for Logistics, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium)

Abstract

Green supply chain management (GSCM) can be defined as the integration of environmental concerns into the inter-organizational practices of supply chain management (SCM). This paper analyzes the role of seaports in the greening of supply chains in two ways. First, the fields of action to pursue GSCM objectives in ports are identified and grouped. The proposed typology includes five groups of actions, i.e., green shipping; green port development and operations; green inland logistics; seaports and the circular economy; and, actions in the field of knowledge development and information sharing. In the empirical part of the paper, this typology is used to analyze green actions and initiatives developed by market players and port authorities in the Rhine–Scheldt Delta, the leading European port region in cargo throughput terms. This structured overview of green actions and initiatives shows that these ports are hotbeds for GSCM initiatives, but progress in some areas remains slows. The second part of the analysis focuses on the attitudes and perceptions of port-related actors towards the greening of port-related supply chains. A large-scale survey conducted in the Belgian and Dutch logistics and port industry reveals that greening has been put massively on the agenda by the firms between 2010 and now. The results give a clear view on the diverse drivers and impediments towards the greening of supply chains. In addition, one can still see a gap between words and actions. The survey further points to the role of governments as catalysts or soft enforcers for change, and calls for continuity and coherence in government policy. This paper is the first study providing a comprehensive analysis on initiatives, approaches, and perspectives of port-related actors in a specific multi-port region.

Suggested Citation

  • Theo Notteboom & Larissa van der Lugt & Niels van Saase & Steve Sel & Kris Neyens, 2020. "The Role of Seaports in Green Supply Chain Management: Initiatives, Attitudes, and Perspectives in Rotterdam, Antwerp, North Sea Port, and Zeebrugge," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-23, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:4:p:1688-:d:324563
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

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    2. Bernacki, Dariusz & Lis, Christian, 2024. "Sustainable gains from inland waterway investments at port-city interface," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 200(C).
    3. Marta Mańkowska & Izabela Kotowska & Michał Pluciński, 2020. "Seaports as Nodal Points of Circular Supply Chains: Opportunities and Challenges for Secondary Ports," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(9), pages 1-21, May.
    4. Elżbieta Szaruga & Zuzanna Kłos-Adamkiewicz & Agnieszka Gozdek & Elżbieta Załoga, 2021. "Linkages between Energy Delivery and Economic Growth from the Point of View of Sustainable Development and Seaports," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(14), pages 1-61, July.
    5. Dariusz Bernacki & Christian Lis, 2021. "Investigating the Sustainable Impact of Seaport Infrastructure Provision on Maritime Component of Supply Chain," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(12), pages 1-22, June.
    6. George Lavidas & John K. Kaldellis, 2020. "Assessing Renewable Resources at the Saronikos Gulf for the Development of Multi-Generation Renewable Systems," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(21), pages 1-22, November.
    7. Davide Aloini & Riccardo Dulmin & Valeria Mininno & Alessandro Stefanini & Pierluigi Zerbino, 2020. "Driving the Transition to a Circular Economic Model: A Systematic Review on Drivers and Critical Success Factors in Circular Economy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(24), pages 1-14, December.

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