Sustainable Logistics and the Supply Chain

Abstract

In today’s global business environment, logistics has become one of the key determinants of sustainable competitive advantage. In the context of sustainable project management, every project will have to embrace a sustainable logistics system. Port and maritime logistics is classified as the most significant logistics system since it is considered to be the backbone for facilitating global trade. Around 80% of the world trade by volume, and 70% by value, is done by sea and is managed by seaports across the globe. It is evident that managing the pressures of sustainability is one of the critical challenges for creating value and ensuring growth across all businesses. Port and maritime industry is required to ensure high level of accountability and transparency on sustainability concerns including waste management, climate change and global warming, energy efficiency, employee health, safety and security, impacts on local society and coastal and local environmental health. Because of the global nature of the port and maritime sector, it encounters more challenges in improving sustainability performance. This chapter covers sustainable port and maritime logistics. It starts by presenting an overview of logistics, supply chain management and maritime logistics. The second section discusses sustainability in the context of supply chain and logistics management. The third section explicates green port and maritime logistics aspects. The fourth identifies sustainability issues and introduces an integrated framework for sustainable port and maritime logistics. It wraps up with a brief section on suggested areas for future research.