Maritime Policy & Management

Risk Assessment and Sustainable Development in Shipping: Climate, Economics and Operations

The international shipping industry is currently navigating through a challenging environment influenced by economic fluctuations, stringent regulations, and evolving risks. For decades, shipping has been a cornerstone of global trade, offering low unit transport costs thanks to economies of scale and continuous technological advancements. However, the focus is now shifting toward sustainable development, driven by the imperative to adopt alternative green fuels and mitigate climate-related risks. This transition demands a redefinition of sustainable practices in the industry—from prioritizing cost efficiency to enhancing operational effectiveness, compliance, and risk resilience.

These transformative changes are occurring against the backdrop of a complex and dynamic global geopolitical landscape, presenting the industry with both significant challenges and unprecedented opportunities. Key areas for development include building new infrastructure capacities, fostering talent, advancing technological innovation, and exploring novel business models.

In collaboration with the IAME 2025 conference, the Maritime Policy & Management journal is calling for research contributions for a Special Issue titled “Risk Assessment and Sustainable Development in Shipping: Climate and Consequences, Economics and Efficiency, Operations and Opportunities.” We invite submissions that address, but are not limited to, the following topics:

1. Safety and security: Methodologies and Applications. Explore innovative approaches to risk assessment, focusing on the identification, evaluation, and management of risks in the maritime sector.
2. Climate-Related Risks: Scenario and Impact Analysis. Analyze the potential impacts of climate change on shipping, including scenario-based forecasting and risk mitigation strategies.
3. Economics of Operational Efficiency: Utilizing Multi-Sourced Information. Investigate the economic implications of improving operational efficiency in shipping through the integration of diverse data sources.
4. Alternative Fuel Economics: Well-to-Wake Cost-Benefit Analysis. Conduct comprehensive evaluations of the economic feasibility and environmental benefits of alternative fuels across the entire supply chain.
5. Big Data Analytics in Operations. Leverage big data to enhance decision-making processes, optimize operations, and improve overall efficiency in maritime activities.
6. Environmental Regulations and Compliance. Examine the evolving regulatory landscape and its impact on the shipping industry, focusing on strategies for achieving and maintaining compliance.
7. Sustainable Finance and Reporting in Shipping. Explore the role of sustainable finance and transparent reporting practices in promoting environmentally and socially responsible shipping operations.
8. Future strategies and policies in an involving environment
9. Resilience: leverage the advanced methodologies and multi-source data for assessing the maritime system performance under the potential complex and unpredicted disruptions.