INTEGRATED PORT ENVIRONMENTAL PROCESS MATURITY MODEL – THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.26408/138.02

Keywords:

environmental process maturity, port environmental index, smart port, sustainability management

Abstract

This paper introduces the Integrated Port Environmental Process Maturity Model (IPEPMM), a theoretical framework aligning environmental process maturity with measurable performance outcomes in maritime ports. The model synthesizes two previously independent approaches: the Environmental Process Maturity (EPM) ladder, which structures environmental capability development, and the Port Environmental Index (PEI), which quantifies environmental outcomes through standardized indicators. By embedding IoT-enabled data governance and stakeholder legitimization into one cohesive system, IPEPMM bridges the gap between process-
-based maturity and evidence-based performance. The framework redefines maturity stages as verifiable managerial commitments, linking capability progression to quantitative environmental improvements. This conceptual integration offers both theoretical advancement and practical guidance for achieving accountable, data-driven environmental management in smart ports while outlining directions for empirical validation and model refinement.

References

Behdani, B. (2023). Port 4.0: a conceptual model for smart port digitalization. Transportation Research Procedia, 74(2022), 346-353. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trpro.2023.11.154

Boullauazan, Y., Sys, C., & Vanelslander, T. (2023). Developing and demonstrating a maturity model for smart ports. Maritime Policy & Management, 50(4), 447-465. https://doi.org/10.1080/03088839.2022.2074161

Charłampowicz, J. (2024). Towards a comprehensive Environmental Process Maturity model for smart ports: addressing gaps in sustainability and technological integration under the European Green Deal. Zeszyty Naukowe Akademii Górnośląskiej, 22, 25-31. https://doi.org/10.53259/2024.10.03

Charłampowicz, J., & Karaś, A. (2024). Smart Ports Process Maturity Model – Theoretical framework. European Research Studies Journal, 27 (Special Issue 3), 1120-1130. https://doi.org/10.35808/ersj/3850

Charłampowicz, J., & Mańkowski, C. (2024). Environmental process maturity: A sustainable theoretical framework for Polish ports. Cognitive Sustainability, 3(4). https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.55343/cogsust.140

Chlomoudis, C., Kostagiolas, P., Pallis, P., & Platias, C. (2024). Environmental management systems in Greek ports: A transformation tool? Environmental Challenges, 14, 100837. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envc.2024.100837

Gao, J., Sun, Y., Rameezdeen, R., & Chow, C. (2024). Understanding data governance requirements in IoT adoption for smart ports – a gap analysis. Maritime Policy & Management, 51(4), 617-630. https://doi.org/10.1080/03088839.2022.2155318

Ha, M., Yang, Z., Notteboom, T., Ng, A. K. Y., & Heo, M. (2017). Revisiting port performance measurement: A hybrid multi-stakeholder framework for the modelling of port performance indicators. Transportation Research Part E, 103, 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tre.2017.04.008

Housni, F., Boumane, A., Rasmussen, B. D., Britel, M. R., Barnes, P., Abdelfettah, S., Lakhmas, K., & Maurady, A. (2022). Environmental sustainability maturity system: An integrated system scale to assist maritime port managers in addressing environmental sustainability goals. Environmental Challenges, 7(February), 100481. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envc.2022.100481

Hsu, C., Chou, M., & Ding, J. (2023). Key factors for the success of smart ports during the post-pandemic era. Ocean and Coastal Management, 233, 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2022.106455

Jabbour, C. J. C. (2015). Environmental training and environmental management maturity of Brazilian companies with ISO14001: Empirical evidence. Journal of Cleaner Production, 96, 331-338. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2013.10.039

Jiang, X., Zhan, Z., Ren, W., Tao, X., Zheng, S., & Luo, M. (2025). Balancing economic and environmental strategies in regional hinterland transport: A dynamic network cross efficiency analysis. Transport Policy, 162, 128-154. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tranpol.2024.11.024

Molavi, A., Lim, G. J., & Race, B. (2020). A framework for building a smart port and smart port index. International Journal of Sustainable Transportation, 14(9), 686-701. https://doi.org/10.1080/15568318.2019.1610919

Oloruntobi, O., Mokhtar, K., Gohari, A., Asif, S., & Chuach, L. F. (2023). Sustainable transition towards greener and cleaner seaborne shipping industry: Challenges and opportunities. Cleaner Engineering and Technology, 13, 100628. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clet.2023.100628

Ormazabal, M., Rich, E., Sarriegi, J. M., & Viles, E. (2017a). Environmental management evolution framework: Maturity Stages and Causal Loops. Organization and Environment, 30(1), 27-50. https://doi.org/10.1177/1086026615623060

Ormazabal, M., & Sarriegi, J. M. (2014). Environmental management evolution: Empirical evidence from Spain and Italy. Business Strategy and the Environment, 23(2), 73-88. https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.1761

Ormazabal, M., Sarriegi, J. M., Rich, E., Viles, E., & Gonzalez, J. J. (2021). Environmental management Maturity: The role of dynamic validation. Organization & Environment, 34(1), 145-170. https://doi.org/10.1177/1086026620929058

Ormazabal, M., Sarriegi, J. M., & Viles, E. (2017b). Environmental management maturity model for industrial companies. Management of Environmental Quality: An International Journal, 28(5), 632-650. https://doi.org/10.1108/MEQ-01-2016-0004

Rodrigues, T. K., & Ensslin, S. R. (2024). Environmental performance evaluation in ports: a literature review and future research guidelines. Maritime Economics & Logistics, 26(2), 241-260. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41278-023-00268-8

Safuan, M., Bahri, S., Radiah, S. S., & Yahya, N. (2025). Sustainable port operations and environmental initiatives in Malaysia: A focus on environmental sustainability. The Asian Journal of Shipping and Logistics, 41(1), 38-51. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajsl.2025.01.002

Siroka, M., Pilicić, S., Milosević, T., Lacalle, I., & Traven, L. (2021). A novel approach for assessing the ports’ environmental impacts in real time – The IoT based port environmental index. Ecological Indicators, 120, 106949. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2020.106949

Triska, Y., Frazzon, E. M., Macowski, V., & Silva, D. (2024). Smart port terminals: conceptual framework, maturity modeling and research agenda. Maritime Policy & Management, 51(2), 259-282. https://doi.org/10.1080/03088839.2022.2116752

Utama, D. R., Hamsal, M., Abdinagoro, S. B., & Rahim, R. K. (2024). Developing a digital transformation maturity model for port assessment in archipelago countrie: The Indonesian case. Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives, 26, 101146. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trip.2024.101146

Yang, Y., & Hsieh, Y. (2024). The critical success factors of smart port digitalization development in the post-COVID-19 era. Case Studies on Transport Policy, 17, 101231. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cstp.2024.101231

Downloads

Published

2026-06-26

How to Cite

Charłampowicz, J. (2026). INTEGRATED PORT ENVIRONMENTAL PROCESS MATURITY MODEL – THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK. Scientific Journal of Gdynia Maritime University, 138, 17–26. https://doi.org/10.26408/138.02

Issue

Vol. 138 (2026)

Section

Articles

Categories

License

Copyright (c) 2026 Charłampowicz

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Authors retain the copyright to their work, licensing it under the Creative Commons Attribution License Attribution 4.0 International licence (CC BY 4.0) which allows articles to be re-used and re-distributed without restriction, as long as the original work is correctly cited. The author retains unlimited copyright and publishing rights.