Document Type

Article

Publication Date

12-19-2019

Journal / Book Title

Sustainability

Abstract

Sustainability is a long-term and ultimate goal for international shipping, although it is slowly making progress. The shipping perspective that moves away from “port-to-port” operations to “door-to-door” services also requires international shipping to take a long-term and holistic view instead of fragmented efforts. How to achieve the long-term sustainability goal becomes a key issue for door-to-door international shipping. Hence, green strategic planning for door-to-door international shipping was proposed with green development that puts forward the eco-centric point of view as its basic theory for sustainability. This study used a strategic decision-making approach, a so-called multi-dimensional decision-making (MDDM), coupled with the life-cycle thinking and continual improvement of ISO 14000, to achieve strategic planning for door-to-door international shipping aiming at sustainability. A case study showed an example of potential framework and/or methodology for the door-to-door international shipping, which integrates green development principles into international shipping planning to reach the long-term goal of sustainability, and meet the needs of the “door-to-door” logistics. It not only points out the general environmental problems but also identifies many critical issues for sustainability in international shipping. As a result, this study developed an approach and methods for sustainable door-to-door international shipping based on the proactively strategic decision-making associated with green development.

DOI

https://doi.org/10.3390/su12010041

Published Citation

Wu, Xiaofang, Luoping Zhang, and Huan Feng. "Green strategic planning approach for international shipping activities." Sustainability 12, no. 1 (2019): 41.

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