Through studies conducted in Bangladesh by Sarker et al. [18], it was concluded that the achievement of sustainable “blue” growth requires strategic planning focused on sectors with potential within the activities of the blue economy. These sectors are related to ocean research and governance. In addition, the study argues that the improvement of blue growth and the achievement of the SDGs must go hand-in-hand; in this way, there is a balance that does not promote blue growth at the expense of environmental sustainability. In this sense, Voyer et al. [19] and Voyer et al. [20] indicate that strengthening connections between sectoral management agreements, through the use of border organizations and by sending a message to existing instruments, could be an efficient and pragmatic approach to the implementation of the blue economy.

Improving the management and governance of marine resources requires science and socioeconomics to be united. For sustainable growth of the blue economy, strong scientific information on the marine environment, detailed knowledge of activities occurring in the ocean space, and an integral understanding of environmental impacts are needed (Mallin et al. [21]). However, there is now a gap in human understanding dimensions regarding the seas and populated coasts of the world. Knowledge of human dimensions for the seas and coasts is critical for evidence-based decision-making in marine policy areas, including marine conservation, marine spatial planning, fisheries management, climate adaptation, and the blue economy [22].

In the absence of a settled definition of the blue economy, some recent research exemplified its areas. Research carried out by Katila et al. [23] aimed to evaluate blue growth at practical and local levels considering an existing active maritime sector and a relatively pristine environment (Gulf of Bothnia, Finland). To assess this environment, the importance of local economic data was examined, and in this way, the potential of blue economies could be understood. Similarly, studies carried out by Akpomera et al. [24] analyzed the positioning of sub-Saharan Africa in the new framework of the blue economy and showed that it accounts for bottlenecks representing maritime insecurity and fragile governance in the coastal states of Africa. The authors considered one of the central factors in the occurrence of bottlenecks and their effects on manage maritime insecurity and weak governance as the lack of financial and technological capacity to collect ocean assets.

Along with the areas already identified, various visions of the blue economy for sustainable development were illustrated by Hassanali [25] through case studies conducted in three Caribbean Community countries (CARICOM; Trinidad and Tobago, Belize, and Granada). Hassanali [25] stated that discussion, understanding, and engagement among its members is needed to reach an agreed policy and strategy that effectively coordinates and operates the development of the blue economy in the region. Such understanding would enable CARICOM to optimize the collective economic, social, and environmental benefits of the blue economy and allow regional grouping to be an influential player in all aspects of the blue economy discourse on the global stage.

Regarding regional development, Pinto et al. [26] provided a timely contribution to fill the knowledge gap on the blue economy. The authors presented the findings and analysis of a survey applied to blue economy organizations in Portugal, Spain, Ireland, and Scotland. This study specified that innovation, human capital, and social capital provide the basis for the creation and consolidation of maritime clusters. In addition, Hoerterer et al. [27] added, from the viewpoints of various stakeholders participating in the blue economy of the German coast, an explanation of how synergies and conflicts between stakeholders and political decision-making can influence blue growth in highly disputed regions. Particularly, these authors explained the case of the North Sea basin, which is even more relevant given the effects of climate change. The authors concluded by demanding that public policies be formulated with a more flexible and adaptive approach that considers changes to environmental, social, and economic realities.

Faced with challenges due to the increasing daily rate of environmental pollution and the generation of electricity from fossil fuel sources in different countries, the international technoscientific community has demanded the study of alternative solutions for the generation and distribution of energy [40,41,42]. Such is the case with the electrical interconnections among some of the Egyptian seaports which, for optimal operation, are maintaining a clean and sustainable environment with the use of renewable energy generation units that are composed of photovoltaic power generation systems [43]. In the same vein, research by Contestabile et al. [44] studied a hybrid wave energy collector, fully integrated into Madagascar’s traditional breakwaters based on a previous development in Italy. In addition, Contestabile et al. [45] conducted a study along the south coast of Western Australia involving comparative assessments with different turbine strategy designs compared with the costs of traditional breakwaters. Finally, studies of the offshore wind industry conducted by Esteban et al. [46] can also be cited as the foundation for considering the use of these designs for construction in ports.

Li et al. [47] analyzed the decisions of ports and power plants on investment in single-engine energy converters, considering the uncertain supply. Studies by Yu et al. [48] in this area are also of interest. The authors, through a multi-object model that integrates spatial and temporal dimensions for strategic planning, studied whether and when ships should modernize to use electricity from the coast. They aimed to study energy use, where cruise ships seem to be a relevant case in the blue economy. In fact, cruise ships are one of the fastest-growing and most energy-consuming tourism segments, generating significant greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions as well as atmospheric pollutants such as nitrous oxide (NO_x) and particulate matter (PM_2.5) [49,50,51,52]. Therefore, there is significant concern about exposure to atmospheric emissions [53,54] that affect human health and climate change. For this reason, port authorities have developed plans and programs to reduce atmospheric emissions. Programs have been created to monitor and form inventories of atmospheric emissions from the perspective of information systems (e.g., the clean trucks program, emission control systems technology demonstrations, the vessel speed reduction program, the idling reduction program, expansion of shore-side electricity, and the air emissions inventor in several ports: Antwerp, Belgium; Bremerhaven, Germany; Dalian, China; Livorno, Italy; Long Beach, USA; Stockholm, Sweden; Vancouver, Canada) [55]. Along this line of research are the works developed by Lee et al. [56], Zhu et al. [57], and Wang et al. [58]. The latter tried to study the problem of integrated allocation of berths and quay cranes considering the payment of taxes on carbon emissions. The cited problem was formulated as a bi-objective integer programming model, intended to minimize the total delay in the completion of all tasks and the total operating costs.

For their part, Mjelde et al. [59] investigated differences in port tariffs depending on the environmental performance of ships, as this represents an additional factor in the consideration of cruise owners to invest in green technologies. The authors studied the use of liquefied natural gas (LNG) as fuel for a cruise ship, requiring positive incentives for ports to help to establish research, reduce emissions into the atmosphere, and drive the adoption of ecological technologies.

Finally, Simonsen et al. [49] developed and used a model of the amounts of carbon dioxide (CO₂), NO_x, and PM_2.5 emitted at sea and in ports in Norwegian waters, finding that approximately 14.6% of these pollutants are deposited in ports, especially in Bergen, Oslo, and Stavanger. These findings confirm the considerable differences in the environmental performance of cruise ships. These findings could be used to design maritime policies that force cruise operators to introduce cleaner technologies and rethink operative practices.

The economic importance of maritime transport has significant implications for the social and environmental performance of port regions [60,61]. Through Stankovic’s studies [62], composite indices were created as relevant scientifically-based tools that were used to compare and monitor various aspects of sustainability in 37 port regions in seven countries on the European side of the Mediterranean across a five-year period from 2014 to 2018. The results highlight the GDP per capita and population density as indicators of greater relative importance in terms of port region sustainability. Liao et al. [63] and Wan et al. [64] evaluated the current state of green port development around the world by establishing an evaluation model for quantitative measurement of the development of green ports based on a framework of drivers, pressures, states, impacts, and responses.

Puig et al. [65] and Puig et al. [66] investigated a list of ports associated with the European Maritime Ports Organization (ESPO) through the self-diagnostic method (SDM; see Appendix C), through which ports can self-assess their environmental management. The results yielded data on a set of management indicators for environmental matters, with an inventory of environmental legislation being the highest implementation indicator (96.7%), followed by the existence of an environmental policy (95.7%). Moreover, Walker [67] and Hossain et al. [68] assessed sustainability and environmental performance in ports within the framework of Canada’s Green Marine Environmental Program (GMEP; see Appendix D) using predefined indicators to identify operational trends and links to port sustainability.

Through an inductive research approach, Hall et al. [69] identified and evaluated the initiation and implementation process behind exemplary innovations in the Vancouver, Columbia, Los Angeles, and Long Beach, California ports. The study included innovation in new technologies and processes for cargo management and movement, mechanisms for policy planning and formulation, as well as the financing, implementation, updating, administration, and operation of infrastructure systems. This relatively new area of competition based on innovation was also studied by Polanco-Pérez et al. [70], Valenzuela et al. [71], and Seisdedos et al. [72] in terms of environmental performance in new engineering works, installation, and coastal interventions.

Finally, studies carried out by Khaslavskaya et al. [73] and Kotowska et al. [74] emphasized the promotion of modes of transport and transport chains that are more environmentally responsive to the hinterland as alternatives to highway transport. Inland shipping and waterways are environmentally friendly and cheap modes of transport. Therefore, a modal change from highways to inland waterways is one of the elements of the European Union’s sustainable transport policy, and this is gaining importance in the development policies of port authorities as a strategic element in developing green ports.

While there appear to be multiple environmental initiatives in the port area, many of these are contextualized in a context that escapes the boundaries of a seaport or port company and depends on the country and location, including the port authority. Regarding the measurement of port environmental performance, there are similarities in this regard, because measuring the environmental performance of a port region or port city differs from measuring it within the jurisdiction of a port authority, and even within those territorial limits, it can differ between seaports or port companies In this way, the possibility of developing integral and tested measuring instruments is reduced to a more restricted set of possibilities that we analyze, in detail, in this article.