Green shipyard concept and sustainability

Since the beginning of human history, political and technological developments in the world have directly affected trade. Maritime transportation, which is the biggest pillar of commercial transportation, is one of the first areas where this interaction is experienced. Therefore, changes in maritime transport have forced ships to change and innovate. These changes and innovations; It has been and continues to be experienced in the size, structure, capacity, type and speed of ships. These changes in the ships have channeled the shipyards where the ships are manufactured to variability and being innovative. The shipbuilding industry is going through certain critical stages in parallel with the technological developments and especially the increase in environmental sensitivity issues that have been on the world agenda for the last fifty years. These transition periods are periods in which the shipbuilding industry has to undergo radical revisions, and it is anticipated that these periods of change will continue. While the global shipping industry has a significant impact on the environment, it is thought to lag behind other industries in environmental improvement issues. Increasing environmental concerns driven by political regulations and financial factors require the shipping industry to reduce its environmental impact. While there is a comprehensive literature reflecting the sustainability of ships, focusing especially on the efficient and effective use of fossil fuels, unfortunately there are very few studies focusing on the sustainability and environmentalism of shipyards. The main purpose of this study is to examine the applicability of the 'Green Business Concept' to shipyards. In line with this goal, in order to gain a broad perspective on the subject, qualitative and quantitative research processes were carried out, a detailed literature review was conducted, semi-structured interviews were conducted, and the criteria emerged as a result of the interviews were weighted using multi-criteria decision-making methods. The research findings include evaluations aimed at formulating an appropriate Green Shipyard definition and drawing a framework for the shipbuilding industry to be environmentally friendly and sustainable.