International shipping is currently at a crossroads. The decision of the International Maritime
Organization (IMO) in April 2018 to adopt an Initial Strategy so as to achieve by 2050 a
reduction of at least 50% in maritime greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions vis-à-vis 2008 levels
epitomizes the last among a series of recent developments as regards sustainable shipping. It
also sets the scene on what may happen in the future. Even though many experts and industry
circles believe that the IMO decision is in line with the COP21 climate change agreement in
Paris in 2015 others disagree either on the ground that the target is not ambitious enough
or on the ground that no clear pathway to reach the target is currently visible. This book
takes a cross-disciplinary view of the various dimensions of the maritime transportation
sustainability problem. ¿Cross-disciplinary¿ means that a variety of angles are used to examine
the book topics and these mainly include the technological angle the economics angle the
logistics angle and the environmental angle. The book reviews models that can be used to
evaluate decisions policy alternatives and trade-offs. For sustainable shipping a spectrum of
technical logistics-based and market based measures are being contemplated. All may have
important side-effects as regards the economics and logistics of the maritime supply chain
including ports and hinterland connections. The objective to attain an acceptable environmental
performance while at the same time respecting traditional economic performance criteria so
that shipping remains viable is and is likely to be a central goal for both industry and
policy-makers in the years ahead. At the same time policy fragmentation is likely to create
distortions of competition and sub-optimal solutions. This book attempts to address these
issues and identify better solutions. Sustainable Shipping: A Cross-Disciplinary View includes
chapters that cover many relevant topics. These include a general view of maritime transport
sustainability green ship technologies information and communication technologies (ICTs) for
sustainable shipping green tramp ship routing and scheduling green liner network design and
speed optimization. Market based measures oil pollution ship recycling sulphur emissions
ballast water management alternative fuels and green ports are also covered. The book
concludes by discussing prospects for the future with a focus on the IMO Initial Strategy.This
book contains a unique wealth of information on sustainable shipping. The knowledge it provides
is rigorous complete and well supported by statistics technical reports and scientific
references. The treatment of the various topics is not only informative but also analytical and
critical. ¿Gilbert Laporte Maritime Economics & Logistics (12 May 2020)
