Environmental efficiency for a cross-section of Spanish port authorities

Shipping has well-documented environmental impacts, among which are greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change and global warming. Measurement of the possibility of ports to reduce emissions by operating more efficiently provides important information for policymakers. In this study the authors estimate environmental efficiency for a cross section of 28 Spanish Port Authorities observed in 2016 using an output-oriented directional distance frontier with a ‘bad output’, carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions. The authors use the non-parametric mathematical programming technique of Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) to estimate the frontier. The authors' novel dataset includes information on CO₂ emissions obtained for these Spanish Port Authorities using the fleet activity–based emission estimation (bottom-up) methodology. Using ships berthing as output, if all port authorities had been environmentally efficient in providing their services, CO₂ emission could have been reduced to an average of 63% of their actual observed levels with a simultaneous increase in good output. When using cargo and passenger traffic as output in order to control for ship characteristics through the output mix, the authors find that reductions of emissions to 82% of observed levels could be achieved with simultaneous increases in outputs, and reductions to 72 of existing levels if good outputs remain constant.

• Record URL:
  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trd.2019.08.024
• Record URL:
  http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1361920919305851
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/13619209
• Supplemental Notes:
  • © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Abstract reprinted with permission of Elsevier.
• Authors:
  • Tovar, Beatriz
  • Wall, Alan
• Publication Date: 2019-10

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Web
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 170-178
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment
  • Volume: 75
  • Issue Number: 0
  • Publisher: Elsevier
  • ISSN: 1361-9209
  • Serial URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/13619209

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Carbon dioxide; Cross sectional studies; Environmental impacts; Nonparametric analysis; Pollutants; Port authorities; Shipping
• Geographic Terms: Spain
• Subject Areas: Environment; Freight Transportation; Marine Transportation; Planning and Forecasting; Terminals and Facilities;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01717822
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Sep 24 2019 2:50PM