Governance and Policy for Sustainable Port and Shipping Systems amid Climate Change and Uncertainty

Ports and shipping systems underpin global trade, coastal livelihoods, and the sustainable use of the ocean, yet they operate under mounting and often overlapping pressures: climate change, geopolitical tension, market volatility, and operational disruption. Sea-level rise, extreme weather, and changing ocean conditions threaten port infrastructure and coastal communities, while sanctions, chokepoint disruptions, and regional conflicts reshape shipping routes and maritime connectivity. These pressures interact in ways that heighten uncertainty and systemic vulnerability across ports, shipping services, and the coastal zones that host them. Governing this system sustainably is now a central marine policy challenge.



This Research Topic approaches sustainable ports and shipping primarily as a question of marine policy and ocean governance. Sustainability here extends beyond environmental performance to the institutions, rules, and partnerships that allow maritime systems to decarbonize, adapt to disruption, support equitable transitions, and remain governable under persistent uncertainty. Low-carbon transition, climate adaptation, resilient coastal infrastructure, and the blue economy are treated as interconnected governance agendas rather than separate technical



problems. For example, emerging Arctic shipping corridors raise governance questions around environmental protection, port competition, and geopolitical exposure; the shift to alternative marine fuels, shore power, and electrification raises questions of regulation, investment, safety, and equitable access that sit squarely within marine policy.



We welcome contributions that examine these issues through the lens of policy, governance, and institutions, in line with the Marine Affairs and Policy section's scope and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 14 Life Below Water, SDG 13 Climate Action, SDG 17 Partnerships for the Goals, and SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth). We particularly encourage interdisciplinary work that generates actionable insight for governments, regulators, port authorities, coastal communities, and maritime stakeholders. Where studies draw on operations, economics, or modeling, they should be framed around their policy, governance, or regulatory implications; purely technical or optimization studies without a marine policy or governance foundation fall outside the section's scope. Original Research, Review, Policy and Practice Reviews, Policy Brief, Perspective, and Hypothesis and Theory articles are all welcome.



Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:



· Ocean governance and institutional innovation for sustainable port and shipping systems



· Maritime decarbonization policy and regulation, including IMO measures, alternative fuels, and shore power (policy, investment, compliance, and equity dimensions)



· Climate change adaptation and resilience of ports, coastal maritime infrastructure, and port-dependent communities



· Blue economy, just transitions, and the socio-economic and distributional implications of sustainable shipping



· Governance of emerging shipping routes (e.g., Arctic corridors): environmental policy, port competition, and geopolitical dimensions



· Marine spatial planning and integrated coastal zone management for port development and maritime activity



· The science-policy interface: indicators, evidence, and decision-support for maritime regulators and port authorities under uncertainty



· International partnerships and cross-border cooperation for sustainable maritime governance (SDG 17)