Fighting greenwashing with the PILOT port index
- 1Department of Environment and Planning and Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM), University of Aveiro
- 2Faculty of Science, School for Resource and Environmental Studies (SRES), Dalhousie University
Abstract
Environmental Sustainability Reporting (ESR) has become central to corporate strategy in the maritime sector due to stakeholder demands for transparency and accountability. However, inconsistent implementation, fragmented regulations, and weak enforcement have increased the risk of greenwashing, where ports overstate or misrepresent environmental performance, undermining trust and genuine sustainability progress. This study adopts a three-phase methodology, combining a critical literature review, empirical analysis of port ESRs and existing evaluation tools, and the development of the Port Index for Low-impact Operations and Transparency (PILOT), a harmonized indicator framework for port environmental performance. The review identified key drivers of greenwashing, including voluntary reporting, selective disclosure, and verification gaps, while the empirical analysis highlighted underrepresentation of core environmental metrics in port reports—mentions concentrate on CO2, energy efficiency and social/ethics (each ~ 15–20%), whereas environmental condition data are scarce (environmental status and biodiversity each well under 5%, water < 10%)—and limitations of existing tools, such as Environmental Performance Index (EPI), Port Internet Exchange and Logistics (PIXEL), United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) frameworks, Port Environmental Review System (PERS), and Green Marine. PILOT is a standardized, verifiable framework designed to reduce greenwashing by focusing on five throughput-normalized indicators—air emissions, freshwater use, port-generated waste, environmental status, and biodiversity. Importantly, PILOT does not introduce new environmental KPIs; it consolidates commonly available, auditable port data into a small, harmonized calculation basis that lowers reporting barriers—especially for ports with limited ESR capacity—and enables more robust benchmarking across comparable port archetypes. It supports third-party verification by requiring transparent system boundaries, documented data sources, and consistent calculation rules, making selective reporting more difficult. The framework aligns with regulatory guidelines and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) objectives, offering ports, regulators, and stakeholders a practical tool to monitor performance, guide improvement, and support sustainable development. Overall, the study demonstrates that standardized, data-driven reporting is essential to reduce greenwashing, strengthen credibility, make meaningful benchmarking across ports substantially easier, and advance sustainability in the global maritime sector.
Related
- From Climate Risk Awareness to Climate-Conscious Investment Behavior: the roles of climate disclosure quality, trust, and greenwashing risk
- Classification and Evaluation of Port Cities Under the Background of Building China into a Maritime Power in the New Era
- The MERCI-Cor Method Recommended for the Environmental Assessment of Galisbay Port (Saint Martin, French West Indies)
- Long-term trajectories of deep artificial rock pool communities in a port infrastructure
- Improved human development index may mitigate drought risk under the changing climate and socio-economic conditions
BibTeX
@article{oswald2026fighting,
title = {{Fighting greenwashing with the PILOT port index}},
author = {Frank Oswald and Fátima L. Alves and Michelle Adams and Seyedeh Azadeh Alavi-Borazjani},
journal = {Discover Sustainability},
year = {2026},
month = jul,
doi = {10.1007/s43621-026-04104-w},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1007/s43621-026-04104-w},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Fighting greenwashing with the PILOT port index
AU - Frank Oswald
AU - Fátima L. Alves
AU - Michelle Adams
AU - Seyedeh Azadeh Alavi-Borazjani
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/07/01
JO - Discover Sustainability
DO - 10.1007/s43621-026-04104-w
UR - https://doi.org/10.1007/s43621-026-04104-w
AB - Environmental Sustainability Reporting (ESR) has become central to corporate strategy in the maritime sector due to stakeholder demands for transparency and accountability. However, inconsistent implementation, fragmented regulations, and weak enforcement have increased the risk of greenwashing, where ports overstate or misrepresent environmental performance, undermining trust and genuine sustainability progress. This study adopts a three-phase methodology, combining a critical literature review, empirical analysis of port ESRs and existing evaluation tools, and the development of the Port Index for Low-impact Operations and Transparency (PILOT), a harmonized indicator framework for port environmental performance. The review identified key drivers of greenwashing, including voluntary reporting, selective disclosure, and verification gaps, while the empirical analysis highlighted underrepresentation of core environmental metrics in port reports—mentions concentrate on CO2, energy efficiency and social/ethics (each ~ 15–20%), whereas environmental condition data are scarce (environmental status and biodiversity each well under 5%, water < 10%)—and limitations of existing tools, such as Environmental Performance Index (EPI), Port Internet Exchange and Logistics (PIXEL), United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) frameworks, Port Environmental Review System (PERS), and Green Marine. PILOT is a standardized, verifiable framework designed to reduce greenwashing by focusing on five throughput-normalized indicators—air emissions, freshwater use, port-generated waste, environmental status, and biodiversity. Importantly, PILOT does not introduce new environmental KPIs; it consolidates commonly available, auditable port data into a small, harmonized calculation basis that lowers reporting barriers—especially for ports with limited ESR capacity—and enables more robust benchmarking across comparable port archetypes. It supports third-party verification by requiring transparent system boundaries, documented data sources, and consistent calculation rules, making selective reporting more difficult. The framework aligns with regulatory guidelines and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) objectives, offering ports, regulators, and stakeholders a practical tool to monitor performance, guide improvement, and support sustainable development. Overall, the study demonstrates that standardized, data-driven reporting is essential to reduce greenwashing, strengthen credibility, make meaningful benchmarking across ports substantially easier, and advance sustainability in the global maritime sector.
SN - 2662-9984
ER -