Evaluating Green Strategies in Ports Using a Decision Support Framework, and Integrating Stakeholder Perspectives: A Case Study of Persian Gulf

Ports are increasingly vital in the international transport system, commerce, and economic growth. Growing awareness and rising expectations for sustainability require ports to address environmental concerns and meet regulatory standards. This study examines the prioritization of green strategies in ports by capturing and pooling the perspectives of port management bodies (PMBs) and port stakeholder groups (PSGs). In this study, a multi-criteria decision-making framework, namely Fuzzy ZE, is applied on the green strategy groups, identified through a comprehensive narrative extraction. Insights to parametrize the model are derived from selected stakeholders in ports in the Persian Gulf region. The study identifies Policy frameworks and instruments, Energy Efficiency, and Renewable Energy Production as the top strategies; this highlights the importance of regulations, energy optimization, and clean energy transitions. The assessment of the stakeholder groups also highlights the need to engage influential groups such as regulators and terminal operators, local communities, and employees to support long-term strategic goals. The findings provide a framework for aligning green strategies with stakeholder priorities and offer insights for policymakers to enhance sustainability and competitiveness within the port sector. Insights from this study can also inform global best practices to advance sustainable port management further.