Environmental, social, and governance metrics for green ports in archipelago countries

Developing environmentally friendly ports is essential for mitigating the adverse environmental impacts of port operations. Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) dimensions have emerged as a key framework for assessing investment decisions; however, limited studies have measured ESG performance in international ports, including green ports, and particularly ports of archipelago countries. The aim of this study is to develop ESG metrics and rankings to prioritize green port investments by Governments and port authorities in archipelago countries, employing a mixed-methods approach. Analysis of semi-structured interviews with 33 experts from Indonesia, Japan, Fiji, and other archipelago nations identified key challenges, resulting in 22 ESG metrics (9 Environmental, 6 Social, and 7 Governance). An ANP-TOPSIS analysis is applied, ranking Law and Regulation, Financial Performance, and Regional Development Planning as the most influential metrics. These top metrics underscore the structural constraints facing archipelago nations: the need for clear legal frameworks to guide sustainability, financial readiness to enable investment execution, and alignment with regional development to ensure inclusive, community-based outcomes. The findings provide a strategic framework for port stakeholders to plan green port investments in financially constrained archipelagic regions.