Assessing the sustainability of shipyards: developing the green performance framework (gpf)

The increasing environmental concerns, driven by regulations and market factors, requires the shipping industry to reduce their impact on the environment. Although attention is being paid to the sustainability of ships, especially to efficient use of fossil fuels, the sustainability of shipyards seems to have been neglected. This paper is a first attempt to provide a reliable and meaningful set of Environmental Performance Indicators (EPIs) for assessing the performance of an operational shipyard, whereby the indicators are brought together in the Green Performance Framework (GPF). By defining what a Green Shipyard beholds and by acquiring insight in an operational shipyard, three qualitative EPIs and six quantitative EPIs are specified. In our next paper data collected from eight operational shipyards will provide a baseline performance level, enabling us to define appropriate measurement scales for the EPIs. The GPF is then tested and evaluated in a case study, assessing the environmental performance of three operational shipyards. The case results, highlighting aspects that have a high impact on the environment, are used as input for the formulation of a three step implementation strategy for the development of a Green Shipyard concept.