Zheng Wan

The need for an accurate inventory of ship emissions is vital for atmospheric scientists assessing the environmental impact of shipping and for policymakers aiming to regulate and incentivize emission reduction. This study used data from 189 international ports, related to ship arrivals and departures, to develop emissions inventories. Emission characteristics were examined in detail, classifying emissions by factors like ship type, month, and region. The analysis identified oil tankers and container ships as main emitters among ship categories. A detailed analysis of the monthly distribution of emissions from vessels at berth worldwide was conducted based on precise arrival and departure times. Singapore, Rotterdam, and Antwerp were the ports with the highest emissions from ships at berth. Overall, this study presents the spatial and temporal emission characteristics of ships at berth in 3912 ports around the world, which can support the development of emission reduction strategies in port management.

Introduction: The expansion of maritime trade has led to the introduction of invasive species into aquatic ecosystems through ballast water discharge. China, being a major player in global trade and manufacturing, has experienced negative impacts on its coastal ecosystems and marine biodiversity.Methods: This study examines the cost‒benefit trade-offs of ballast water management policies for major port clusters in China and other global ports. This paper evaluates compliance costs for individual vessels and fleets under different policy scenarios and ballast water treatment system (BWTS) installation strategies.Results: The onboard BWTS installation strategy appears to be more cost-effective under the existing International Maritime Organization (IMO) policy. However, with stricter global discharge requirements or a substantial increase in BWTS capital and operating costs, strategies based on port location could prove more beneficial due to potential economies of scale. Notably, ships with high ballast water discharge volumes, like bulk carriers, are potentially better equipped to cope with future policy shifts. In the face of stricter regulations in China, projected annual compliance cost increases range from $456 million (cost data based on China) to $1.205 billion (cost data based on US).Discussion: Policymakers are advised to adopt a comprehensive view of ballast water management policies, taking into account the trade-offs between compliance costs and environmental risks. Other essential factors, such as advancements in BWTS technology, fuel consumption, emissions, and maintenance costs, also demand careful consideration in policy development.

Editorial: Global vessel-source maritime pollution governance—technical innovation and policy orientation

Since 1997, researchers have increasingly studied different aspects of seafarers’ health. However, no comprehensive review of the literature has been conducted. This study maps seafarers’ health research published from 1997 to 2020. A total of 120 publications were collected for bibliometric analysis. We find that three relatively large research teams have formed, which have mainly conducted cohort studies, questionnaire surveys, and maritime field studies. The primary research hotspots are comparison of differences in occupational health; disease causes and prevention; health risk factors and their interventions; and work health and safety. Changes in research hotspots can be summarised as a shift from seafarers’ physical health to physical and mental health, and, subsequently, a shift from health to work health and safety. Future research is likely to focus on the influence mechanism of seafarers’ stress on their health; the influence mechanism of the shift-work crisis on seafarers’ health and its interventions; whether seafarers’ health affects their retention; an overall framework for seafarers’ work safety and health; and the impact of natural gas emissions on seafarers’ health as well as related interventions. The results can be used to increase the understanding of seafarers’ health research and support further work in this field.

As a near-Arctic state and a shipping power, China shows great interest in developing polar shortcuts from East Asia to Europe against the background of shrinking Arctic sea ice. Due to the Arctic’s historic inaccessibility and corresponding vulnerable ecosystems, Arctic shipping activities must be carried out sustainably. In this study, a content analysis method was adopted to detect Chinese perspectives toward sustainable Arctic shipping based on qualitative data collected from the websites of several Chinese government agencies. Results show that, first, China emphasizes the fundamental role played by scientific expeditions and studies in developing Arctic shipping routes. Second, China encourages its shipping enterprises to conduct commercial and regularized Arctic voyages and intends to strike a good balance between shipping development and environmental protection. Third, China actively participates in Arctic shipping governance via extensive international cooperation at the global and regional levels. Several policy recommendations on how China can develop sustainable Arctic shipping are proposed accordingly.