An intuitionistic fuzzy-based model for performance evaluation of EcoPorts

The EcoPort performance level serves as a basic indicator to determine the environmental status of a port and its achievement of certification standards. The European Sea Ports Organization has defined ten essential EcoPort criteria that contribute significantly to the assessment of EcoPort performance. The primary motivation for this study is to determine the importance of the criteria from the perspective of academics and chief officers, as well as to evaluate the EcoPort performance of six port authorities that comply with three basic certification standards for environmental management systems. The research methodology and application are conducted in four phases. In the first phase, experts, criteria, and alternative ports are identified. In the second phase, the importance levels of experts are determined using neutrosophic sets, while the criteria are weighted using the intuitionistic fuzzy weighting averaging operator. In the third phase, the alternative ranking order method accounting for two-step normalization (AROMAN) based on the intuitionistic fuzzy sets is introduced to evaluate the EcoPort performance of the ports. In the fourth phase, the results are supported by sensitivity analysis scenarios. The research results identified air pollution as the most critical criterion, while the Valencia Port Authority secured the highest rank in terms of EcoPort performance. Ultimately, this research contributes to the literature by developing and applying the new IF-AROMAN method for EcoPort performance evaluation. •A new performance evaluation model for EcoPort management and executives is presented.•The advanced hybrid intuitionistic fuzzy AROMAN-based model is introduced.•Air pollution is the most critical environmental priority in the port sector.•The Port of Valencia has the highest level of EcoPort performance.•Recommendations for advancing environmental management practices in the port sector.