Green Maritime Logistics - Open Seminar

Emissions from commercial shipping are currently the subject of intense scrutiny. Various analyses of many aspects of the problem have been and are being carried out and a spectrum of measures to reduce emissions is being contemplated. These measures can be considered to fall into three general categories: technical, market-based and operational.

Technical measures include more efficient ship hulls, energy-saving engines, more efficient propulsion, use of alternative fuels such as fuel cells, biofuels or others, "cold ironing" in ports (providing electrical supply to ships from shore sources), devices to trap exhaust emissions (such as scrubbers), and others, even including the use of sails to reduce power. Market-based instruments (MBIs) are classified into two main categories, Emissions Trading Schemes (ETS) and Carbon Levy schemes (also known as International Fund schemes). Finally, operational schemes mainly involve speed optimization, optimized routing, improved fleet planning, and other, logistics-based measures.
However, such measures may have important side-effects as regards the logistical supply chain, and vice-versa.

The traditional analysis of logistic problems is in terms of cost- benefit criteria from the point of view of the logistics, operator, shipper, or other end-user. Such analysis typically ignores environmental issues. Green maritime logistics tries to bring the environmental dimension into the problem, and specifically the dimension of emissions reduction, by trying to analyze the tradeoffs that are at stake and exploring win-win solutions. This is an area of paramount practical importance for international shipping and will likely be even more so in the future. Practices and policies being currently pursued suffer from a high degree of fragmentation and do not necessarily contribute to an efficient and environment-friendly multi-modal transportation system, or may actually lead to significant side-effects if no proper action is taken.

This lecture will focus on providing (a) a better understanding of the trade-offs associated with green multi-modal logistics, (b) measures whose aim is to produce win-win solutions for an efficient and green multi-modal supply chain, and (c) an analysis of policy implications.