Feedback from global ports handling more than 8.6 billion tons of maritime cargo gives a clear picture of a sector committed to steady sustainability attainment but wary of growing security threats
Despite regulatory uncertainty and political headwinds, decarbonisation plans by the world’s leading ports do not appear materially changed in 2026, IAPH’s World Ports Tracker 2026 reveals. The status of IMO’s Net Zero Framework has been in doubt since October last year, yet more than half of world ports are ‘going the extra mile’ by publicly declaring targets to achieve carbon neutrality before 2050. Meanwhile, ports are making steady inroads toward infrastructure for bunkering low and zero-carbon marine fuels, with LNG operational in a third of ports.
The survey results of IAPH’s most-engaged ports have been analysed in the latest version of the IAPH World Ports Tracker 2026 – Sustainability and Market Trends, written by Professors Theo Notteboom and Thanos Pallis – PortEconomics co-directors- of the IAPH Risk and Resilience technical committee. This work builds on the comprehensive upgrade of the World Ports Tracker undertaken in 2025, allowing insightful comparative analysis between the two editions.
Together, the responding ports from IAPH’s membership handle more than 8.6 billion tons of maritime cargo and 372 million TEU. They were questioned on the six areas of interest of the World Ports Sustainability Program (WPSP) and on their views on market prospects. The report further gathers additional data on container port productivity and liner connectivity from UNCTAD/MDS and S&P Global.
The IAPH World Ports Tracker 2026 is available exclusively to IAPH members via the IAPH website. Non-members can access a paid edition of the report.
IAPH Managing Director Patrick Verhoeven commented: “Thanks to the generous time commitment and thoughtful input of IAPH’s regular members, in the IAPH World Ports Tracker 2026 we have the clearest picture yet of sustainability in the global port industry. Moreover, the results vindicate the approach of IAPH’s technical committees and working groups, which are focused on exchanging knowledge and providing cutting-edge resources to the industry – this includes moves to strengthen cybersecurity and climate resilience, remove barriers to onshore power and zero-carbon fuels adoption, and provide pathways to port certification via the Environmental Ship Index and our pilot project for Sustainable Cruise Port Accreditation.”
The most notable findings in this year’s edition of the IAPH World Ports Tracker were as follows:
- 53% of ports worldwide appear to be taking proactive steps to support the IMO’s GHG decarbonisation deadline, having publicly announced commitments to reach carbon neutrality ahead of the 2050 deadline.
- Cybersecurity threats are the most important risk factor perceived by port authorities, with 61% of respondents classifying cyberattacks as a high risk, ahead of natural disasters and climate change. An increasing number of ports (85%) integrate cybersecurity considerations into the implementation of emerging technologies.
- The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT) in ports has seen a clear increase; meanwhile, more than half of the ports now report using automation, robotics and drones.
- Renewable electricity produced onsite in port areas relies heavily on solar power – three quarters of ports report solar energy production.
- In terms of implementing rules and procedures for the safe bunkering of low- and zero-carbon marine fuels, LNG (operational in 33% of ports) and biofuels (24%) show the most significant progress to date; ammonia and hydrogen remain in the early stages of adoption.
- The uneven pace of onshore power (OPS) adoption is evident in disparate results that show 29% deployment for harbour craft and port auxiliary vessels, 19% for container vessels, 14% for cruise ships and 11% for ferries. Technical challenges and a lower frequency of OPS‑ready vessels has limited uptake for bulk carriers and tankers.
- ISO 14001 is the dominant Environmental Management System in the port sector, with 42% of port authorities obtaining certification, but a substantial share of ports have yet to formalize their environmental governance through a recognized certification scheme.
- An increasing number of surveyed ports (67%) report investing in ecological restoration as part of their environmental policy and responsibility, with more than half investing in ecological restoration as part of development projects.
- Seven out of ten ports are facilitating systematic consultation with community stakeholders as a key part of their decision-making processes.
- 58% of ports anticipate an increase in cruise passenger traffic – a figure that has more than doubled compared to 2025. Strong growth expectations prevail, with 16% of ports forecasting increases of more than 10%.
- The majority of projects across all port investment categories were executed as planned last year, although new energy and fuel infrastructure projects appear to face greater implementation challenges
- Market analysis of the trends for container flows points towards significant growth in the Southern hemisphere, especially in developing markets in South East Asia and Latin America, compared to stagnation or a slight decline in volumes in developed regions such as Northern Europe and North America.
- The Liner Shipping Connectivity Index (LSCI) increased in seven of the 10 best-connected locations, with connectivity gains skewed toward selected Asian growth nodes; China remained the clear global leader. India (9th), recorded the strongest gains (+11.9%) of all well-connected countries in 2025.
Professor Theo Notteboom and PortEconomics co-director commented: “It’s very interesting to look at geopolitical tensions and the role they play in the risk management of ports. 26% of respondents viewed geopolitical instability as a high risk factor, with another 48% tagging it as a medium risk – those figures are not the highest among all the possible risk factors, but we saw an important increase of the risk perception if you compare 2025 and 2026 results. This factor is growing in importance. The collection of responses concluded at the end of February 2026 – before the outbreak of the conflict in the Middle East – so those conclusions need to be put in perspective.”
Professor Thanos Pallis commented: “In this year’s IAPH World Ports Tracker, a cautious optimism was recorded across all market segments: ports anticipated positive developments over the next 12 months – moderate compared to the previous year but remaining positive. The data collection concluded at the end of February before the conflict in the Middle East developed, yet it’s instructive to compare with the port predictions made at the beginning of 2025: even though there was instability in maritime trade in 2025 due to different trade policies – especially conflicts regarding tariffs – the evolution of trade did not defer from the initial port industry forecast.”
You can download a summary presentation of the IAPH World Ports Tracker 2026 – Sustainability and Market Trends report here and watch an accompanying video presentation of the results by the authors here.
First published here.
