Ranking of Mitigation Measures in Decarbonisation of International Shipping of Turkish Ports: A Fuzzy-Analytic Hierarchy Process Approach

Decarbonisation of shipping is very crucial to achieve the International Maritime Organization (IMO)’s zero-carbon target by 2035 especially in middle-income economies with relatively limited budget constraints. This paper purposes to demonstrate the importance of mitigation measures in decarbonisation of international shipping using a fuzzy- Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) approach. For this purpose, both main and sub-measures proposed by International Transport Forum in decarbonisation of international shipping are ranked in terms of their importance based on eight expert opinions working at an international port in Türkiye using survey data. The empirical evidence of the present paper reveals that alternative fuel and energy sources are the most important main mitigation measure of decarbonisation of international shipping. The results also put forward that more efficient use of ammonia is the most important sub-measure of decarbonisation of international shipping followed by light materials, slender design and solar energy use, respectively. More attention on the deployment of alternative fuel and energy sources including ammonia and solar energy is recommended for future decarbonisation policies of international shipping. The importance of combination of mitigation measures for decarbonisation of international shipping is also highlighted to achieve zero-carbon target by 2035.