Achieving port sustainability through the triple bottom line framework: A review

Triple bottom line (TBL) of port sustainability, integrating environmental, social, and economic sustainability in port operation, comprises a balanced approach that ensures environmental stewardship, community well-being, and long-term growth of the port while maintaining operational efficiency and profitability. Although TBL approach is widely considered by many firms and businesses for sustainable operation, its application in sustainable port management has not been extensively explored. Initially, 179 articles have been extracted systematically from Scopus and Web of Science databases. After applying the exclusion criteria, the study thoroughly reviews 34 articles and provides 26 sustainable port management practices (SPMPs) based on TBL approach, comprising thirteen (13) from the environmental, six (6) from the social, and seven (7) from the economic perspectives. An integrative port sustainability decision framework has been developed considering five (5) exogenous factors which guide to have customized threshold of sustainable practices in the ports globally. The identified SPMPs have been aligned with United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) and demonstrating how each SPMP can contribute to achieving various UN SDGs. Furthermore, a port sustainability choice matrix of regulation, operational efficiency, and social responsibility has been developed to explain ports’ managerial focus in adopting the TBL based SPMPs in different situations. Finally, potential research areas have been discussed to identify future directions in TBL-based sustainable port management. This study is expected to make a significant contribution to sustainable port management by offering guidance for ports to adopt sustainability practices holistically and providing new insights to academic research on the TBL-based sustainable port management.