A Priority Analysis on Emission Reduction Strategies in Foreland and Hinterland of Ports

Abstract

Maritime transportation is responsible for a considerable extent of the world’s total air emissions. For this reason, IMO regulations have started to control emissions coming from ships. Especially in the wake of IMO 2020 rules first being applied, ship owners pay much more attention to emissions released. In contrast, the regulations do not involve the other actors within maritime transportation, so for instance, ports have not focused significantly on emissions while operating. However, emissions produced by port operations have directly threatened human health due to the ports’ proximity to cities. Recently, various acts were created to mitigate these emissions. Although these acts were beneficial, strategies to alleviate emissions from shipping should be stricter to achieve the United Nations’ 2030 and 2050 targets for emission reduction. In this study, strategies to reduce air emissions produced by ports were identified, categorized, and prioritized. Strategies to prevent both in-port and hinterland emissions were evaluated for the first time. The findings of the study (based on expert evaluations) were presented, and implications related to these findings were interpreted. Finally, some suggestions for further studies related to port emissions were proposed.