Building collaborative governance for green maritime logistics

At the Vietnam Port Energy Transition: Challenges and Multi-Stakeholder Collaboration workshop hosted by RMIT Vietnam on 12 December, Dr Nguyen Son, Lecturer in Logistics and Supply Chain Management at RMIT Vietnam, presented key insights from a research project he leads on collaboration governance in Vietnam’s port energy transition.

This project is co-conducted by Dr Nguyen Canh Lam (Lecturer, Logistics and Supply Chain Management, RMIT Vietnam), Dr Nguyen Manh Hung (Senior Program Manager, Logistics and Supply Chain Management, RMIT Vietnam), and Professor Vinh Thai (Professor of Supply Chain & Logistics, RMIT Australia).

The study draws on 29 in-depth interviews with regulators, port authorities, port/terminal operators, shipping lines, cargo owners and community representatives. Data collected across three major maritime economic and port regions, Hai Phong, Ho Chi Minh City–Ba Ria-Vung Tau and Ha Tinh, provides a nationwide picture of Vietnam port energy transition’s readiness and bottlenecks.

A transformation Vietnam cannot afford to diverge

Global supply chain is under tremendous pressure to become greener. As emission-reduction rules tighten, the logistics sector, especially maritime transport, which carries over 80 percent of goods - are being reshaped towards greener operations. Vietnam’s maritime logistics sector is not an exception of this transformation.

“Vietnam is under growing pressure to modernise its port-energy systems. Without greener shipping, and therefore port services, our exports could gradually lose access to major international trade routes,” Dr Son said.

For a country with 34 seaports handling 864.4 million tonnes of cargo in 2024, transitioning to cleaner port-energy systems has become a prerequisite for maintaining national competitiveness. Vietnam’s logistics network is an important part of the country’s attractiveness as a manufacturing hub in Southeast Asia. Without environmentally aligned port services, Vietnamese goods risk exclusion from international markets adopting increasingly strict decarbonisation standards (e.g., life-cycle carbon footprint); and Vietnam risks losing its position as a top destination for investments.

Port energy transition poses particular challenges for developing economies, as they must balance between the costly modernisations to become greener and more efficient, and global commitments and regulatory compliance, while keeping logistics costs manageable.

“This tension sits at the centre of Vietnam’s dilemma. We must adapt to meet expectations of international stakeholders, yet carefully enough to protect national economy’s competitiveness, efficiency, and resilience,” Dr Son said.

Inside Vietnam’s port realities

A core finding is that the greatest pressure falls on port operators. Regulators are planning to raise standards to meet Vietnam’s international commitments, while global shipping lines – responding to their own customers' sustainability demands and regulatory compliance needs – require greener port services. Port/terminal operators, meanwhile, are facing high investment costs with questionable returns and uncertainties of regulations, supporting policies, as well as turbulent outlooks of both the transport and energy sectors.

“Port operators are carrying the heaviest burden. They face rising expectations, but the supporting energy infrastructure is still not ready for a complete transition,” Dr Son add.

The study also reveals the polarisation of the transition strategies among port operators. Some operators with higher technology and financial capabilities tend to invest beyond compliance and treat the transition as a competitive advantage and even entry barrier. Smaller and purely domestic operators are considering making only minimal investments, choosing to be the cautious followers as they are facing yet-to-materialised regulations, uncertain impacts to business bottom lines, and a weak domestic market for green logistics.

“If this gap continues to widen, heavier market concentration across the sector will become a real concern,” he said.

National regulators emphasise the need for standardisation to avoid fragmented technologies and rising costs. Standards such as TCCS 02:2022 set “green port” criteria across awareness, resource optimisation, environmental quality, energy efficiency, and emissions reduction. Vietnam’s transition roadmap follows four stages - standard development (to 2022), pilot implementation (to 2025), voluntary adoption (to 2030) and mandatory compliance thereafter - supported by Power Development Plan VIII, which targets 30.9-39.2 per cent renewable energy by 2030 and net-zero by 2050.

Local community representatives raise different concerns, especially the alignment of the energy needs of ports and ships, and the local and national energy development directions. They also mentioned safety risks and potential impacts on nearby residents caused by energy-related operations that use hydrogen and ammonia. Yet the local agencies and community representatives remain limited in their authorities, mostly centred on communication and oversight rather than decision-making.

Across all interviews, major barriers emerge: high investment requirements; developing legal framework and energy infrastructure; limited technical capability and knowledge sharing; and misaligned priorities between short-term business pressures and long-term governmental and societal goals.

Building a transition that works in practice

In response, the report recommends an adaptive institutional framework: national objectives should remain strategic, transparent, and progressive, but local implementations should be flexible and specific to regional conditions. The study also emphasises the potentials of ports’ integration with provincial infrastructure as transport-energy hubs, as well as regionalisation as an inevitable development of ports.

The transition should begin with feasible measures in which the resonance of stakeholders is strongest - digitalisation, operational optimisation, equipment electrification and smart energy-management systems - before progressing to renewable energy and higher-risk fuels. Financially, mechanisms such as carbon credits, green bonds, and innovation funds can help transform the transition from a cost burden into a viable investment.

“Technology know-how alone won’t deliver this transition. Real progress depends on governance and collaboration. Regulators, local authorities, operators and shipping lines all need to move in step if Vietnam is to achieve a credible and sustainable port-energy transition,” Dr Son said.

Industry voices converge on collaborative solutions

The workshop's panel discussion brought together diverse perspectives from Vietnam's maritime sector, revealing both consensus and complexity in the path forward.

Dr Hoang Hong Giang, Deputy Director General of Vietnam Maritime and Waterway Administration (VIMAWA), emphasised the pioneering multi-stakeholder approach of the research, noting that Vietnam faces an urgent choice: act now or risk exclusion from global supply chains. He highlighted plans for a Port Community System to enable secure information sharing among all stakeholders.

From the operational frontline, Mr Truong Nguyen Linh of VICT Port expressed hope for practical support as terminals must maintain operations while transitioning, particularly challenging for facilities with aging infrastructure. Mr Bui Van Quy, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Seaport Association, Chairman of the Advisory Board, APEC Port Services Network, former ASEAN Ports Association Chairman, stressed Vietnam's advantages and motivations but warned that competing with other regional ports requires comprehensive ecosystem transformation – digitalisation, green transition, and administrative simplification working in tandem.

Mr Nguyen Huy Duc of GIL affirmed the research reflects market realities, noting smaller enterprises seek guidance and exemplars. He shared GIL's pilot projects, including alternative fuels, and inland barge optimisation systems to reduce port congestion.

Professor Vinh Thai (RMIT Australia) drew on Australia's experience, where government-backed clean energy financing, and the establishment of cooperative research centres, combining university, industry, and government funding and expertise, have enabled port-energy hub development. He emphasised that Vietnam's export-oriented economy and strategic position create opportunities to transform energy transition into competitive advantage.

The panel converged on near-term priorities: digitalisation and electrification can proceed immediately with manageable costs, while information sharing mechanisms and port cluster development require parallel policy evolution. Success, all agreed, depends on both technology and governance – regulators, local authorities, operators, and shipping lines moving in coordinated step.

Story: Quan Dinh H.