Port Sustainability Practices: A Case Study of Port of Rotterdam and Port of Los Angeles

Nowadays seaports have become a key node in global supply chains, connecting parties from all over the world in order to enhance global trade. The dynamics in the industry have shifted the scale of port competition from geographical advantage towards the ability of ports to satisfy the desires not only of its clients but the other parties related to its operations called stakeholders. While ports strive for larger market share they need to balance their impact on the economy in which they operate, the environmental impact they have and the livability to the society that they contribute. This is why such strategy, called port sustainability strategy is required. Only when ports manage to put the amount of attention needed to the three different parties, then they will manage to become more competitive. This research describes what practices do Port of Rotterdam and Port of Los Angeles implement in order to become more sustainable. The study concludes highlighting the main differences in the two ports and their possible development in in the future.