In a bid to reconcile economic growth with environmental sustainability, a recent study led by Gaofeng Gu from the College of Transportation Engineering at Dalian Maritime University has shed new light on the environmental efficiency of coastal ports. The research, published in the Journal of Marine Science and Engineering, employs a meta-frontier approach to evaluate port environmental efficiency (PEE), offering valuable insights for port management and maritime logistics.
The study addresses a critical gap in existing research by considering the heterogeneity in technological capacities across different port scales. Traditional methods often assume strong disposability and homogeneity, potentially leading to biased assessments. Gu and his team categorized coastal ports into three subgroups based on operational scale and developed a meta-frontier SBM-Undesirable model incorporating weak disposability to evaluate PEE.
The results reveal substantial disparities between subgroup frontiers and the meta-frontier. The average group PEE was found to be 0.732, significantly higher than the meta PEE of 0.570. This discrepancy implies that assuming homogeneity in port sizes can lead to overestimation of environmental efficiency. Large-sized ports operated near the meta-frontier with a mean technology gap ratio (TGR) of 0.956, while medium-sized and small-sized ports exhibited substantial technological gaps with TGRs of 0.770 and 0.600, respectively.
The study also explored dynamic characteristics via the Global Malmquist Index, revealing a volatile upward trend in total factor productivity (TFP) with an average annual growth of 6.8%. In large-sized and medium-sized ports, TFP growth was primarily driven by technological innovation, whereas in small-sized ports, it stemmed from combined improvements in technical efficiency and technological level.
For maritime professionals, these findings underscore the necessity of differentiated decarbonization strategies. “Large-sized ports are already operating near the meta-frontier, so their focus should be on maintaining and slightly improving their technological edge,” Gu explains. “Medium-sized and small-sized ports, however, have more room for improvement and should prioritize bridging the technological gap.”
The commercial implications are significant. Ports that can demonstrate higher environmental efficiency may attract more business and comply more easily with increasingly stringent environmental regulations. Additionally, the study highlights the importance of technological innovation in driving productivity growth, offering a roadmap for ports looking to enhance their competitive edge.
As the maritime industry grapples with the dual challenges of economic growth and environmental sustainability, this research provides a timely and valuable contribution. By offering a more nuanced understanding of port environmental efficiency, it paves the way for more effective and targeted strategies in sustainable port management. The study, published in the Journal of Marine Science and Engineering, is a must-read for maritime professionals seeking to navigate the complex landscape of port sustainability.