Determinants of Sustainable Investment in the Shipping Supply Chain: A Fuzzy Multi-Method Assessment Approach

Port and shipping enterprises face significant uncertainty in making effective sustainable investment decisions to meet pressing carbon reduction targets. This study addresses this challenge by developing a fuzzy multi-method framework to identify and prioritize pivotal factors that guide sustainable investments. An evolutionary game model simulates the influencing factors, while the triangular fuzzy number (TFN) and evidential reasoning (ER) algorithm assess their importance and operability. The decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) method further refines these assessments. Finally, the Bayesian probability method corrects the posteriori probability, providing a comprehensive ranking. The results reveal that low-carbon technology is the most critical driver of sustainable investment, whereas environmental factors consistently rank the lowest in importance. This methodology aids ports and shipping enterprises in making sustainable investment decisions to reduce carbon emissions.