Environmental cost optimization in the main container shipping routes from Colombia

Abstract

Container shipping, as the main means used for the global movement of goods, has been identified as one of the main sources of pollution and generation of environmental emissions. This research aims to determine the optimal routes to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), nitrogen oxide (NOx), sulfur dioxide (SO2) and particulate matter (PM10) generated by container shipping. To achieve this, linear regression and linear programming techniques were employed, with special attention to the network problem, specifically the allocation problem. The results obtained revealed that the most effective routes to minimize the environmental impact are: Cartagena - Barcelona, Santa Marta - Los Angeles, Buenaventura - Shanghai and Barranquilla - Santos. As a line of future research, it is proposed to incorporate the amounts of emissions generated by different types of ships and determine the optimal routes for their minimization.