The evolution of green shipping practices adoption in the international maritime industry

Abstract

Seaborne trade exhibits a continual expansion with technological advancement, reportedly 10.7 billion tons in 2017, with a 3.8% growth annually. It is forecast to double in the next two decades (UNCTAD, 2018). The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is persistently heading to stricter regulatory amendments to steer shipping towards a greener and more sustainable future. Therefore, green shipping has drawn enormous interest from both academia and researchers. This paper summarizes a comprehensive bibliometric analysis aiming to understand the development of research trends in this area and suggest future research. Most of the research is focused on air pollution, practical operation or technical measures, recycling for GSP in the shipping sector. The theoretical approach to GSP and its concept is yet to be crystalline for the marine industry. According to existing research, further study is required to establish a GSP construct and propose pollution abatement technical solutions with a comprehensive evaluating tool. Besides, scholars from different territories may collaboratively suggest setting up standards and legislation of GSP for the life cycle of the ship to achieve an ever-sustainable maritime transport industry worldwide.