Sustainable Risk Governance in Maritime Transport: Embodied Carbon Emissions and Responsibility Distribution Across BRICS Coastal Economies

Shanshan Zheng (), N.A.K. Nandasena, Cheng Chen and Fansi Wu
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Shanshan Zheng: School of International Economics and Trade, Fujian Business University, Fuzhou 350012, China
N.A.K. Nandasena: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain 15258, United Arab Emirates
Cheng Chen: College of Civil Engineering, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350108, China
Fansi Wu: College of Civil Engineering, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou 350108, China

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 8, 1-19

Abstract: Maritime carbon responsibility allocation can guide sea level rise and storm surge mitigation in BRICS coastal zones by addressing emissions-driven climate risks. This study analyzes the characteristics of and differences in embodied carbon emissions in the Maritime Transport Industry of the BRICS countries from the perspectives of producer responsibility, consumer responsibility, and shared responsibility, based on a global value chain framework. Using non-competitive input–output data from the OECD and introducing a processing trade adjustment mechanism, the study calculates the carbon emissions of the five countries from 1995 to 2018. The empirical results show that under producer responsibility, carbon emissions in China and South Africa’s maritime transport sectors are mainly driven by exports, with production-side emissions significantly higher than consumption-side emissions. Under consumer responsibility, emissions in India and Brazil are driven by the demand for imported goods, reflecting their high reliance on external markets. In shared responsibility accounting, China’s cumulative carbon emissions account for 66.81% of the total emissions from the five countries, highlighting its central role in global supply chains. The study also finds that the differences in carbon emissions among the countries are mainly due to differences in economic structures, trade dependencies, and consumption patterns. Different responsibility accounting methods have a significant impact on carbon emissions, with export-oriented countries tending to weaken producer responsibility, while import-oriented countries seek to avoid consumer responsibility. The shared responsibility mechanism, through the dynamic allocation coefficient α , provides a practical approach to balancing efficiency and equity in global carbon governance.

Keywords: maritime transport; BRICS countries; producer responsibility; consumer responsibility; embodied carbon emissions; input–output method (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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