A proposed interdisciplinary framework for the environmental management of water and air-borne emissions in maritime logistics

Abstract

This paper develops and tests a conceptual environmental risk assessment and management framework to guide businesses and other stakeholders, including government, in defining and addressing potential environmental problems in ocean shipping and port operations. The framework aims to protect the natural environment and its ecosystem services while at the same time allowing society to obtain goods and benefits from the seas. As such it integrates three elements: firstly, the criteria required to achieve sustainable management that, secondly, underpin a problem structuring method which, thirdly, can be assessed using an ISO Bow-tie industry standard analysis tool. Ocean pollution from water and air-borne discharges are used to illustrate this framework; this uses an input from an exploratory research study with maritime practitioners which investigated the framework veracity and potential for use, highlighting its potential and shortcomings.