Partnerships and ports: Negotiating climate adaptive governance for sustainable transport regimes

Ports are a key driver of change in global transport contexts; they are also affected by and a contributor to climate change. This article, drawing on an international review of ports and climate change activity, and then an Australian case study, shows that ports across the world are important catalysts for social change and governance reform in sustainable transport contexts. Specifically, it is argued that ports are hubs that facilitate governance flow in innovative ways. The article concludes with the suggestion that port governance structures, in facilitating regional, national and transnational networks and governance flows, can become cornerstones for future decision making about climate change in local to international contexts.