1. Introduction

Making Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) reality requires multiple actions taken by governments, institutions, and business entities. To successfully transform the world towards a sustainable future, the progress must be measured regularly and the results communicated clearly and transparently.

Assessing the contribution of businesses to achieving the SDGs is of utmost importance and, at the same time, complex for several reasons. Firstly, as a relatively new approach to business development, it is not yet based on a well-established methodology. Secondly, the ability to thoroughly analyse any activity undertaken by an enterprise is conditioned upon full transparency of processes and public disclosure of not only the financial standing, but also corporate sustainability records. Sustainability reporting is not mandatory for all companies, so a lot of businesses decide not to publish the data, which, by many, is considered sensitive. Thirdly, a lot of small and medium-sized enterprises do not keep relevant records, such as, e.g., data on CO₂ emissions, which should be included in sustainability reports.

Much of the public’s attention has been focused recently on decarbonisation and sustainability initiatives taken by owners of container ships, bulk carriers and tankers. Those types of vessels have the highest fuel consumption globally and are thus major greenhouse gas emitters [1]. This is not to say, however, that owners of other types of ships, such as cruise ships or Ro-Pax ferries, do not engage in sustainability.

Research into sustainability disclosure, as published in the scientific literature, shows that relevant sustainability communication boosts a company’s image and financial results. Some businesses tie certain activities to selected SDGs [2]. Some, although not much, research into sustainability disclosure has been carried out for the shipping industry, with a major focus on container and cruise lines [3, 4].

The aim of this paper is to evaluate corporate sustainability communication practices applied by ferry operators in the Baltic Sea Region. The communications have been assessed for consistency of website contents and sustainability reports with sustainability criteria applicable to the ferry market and defined based on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and experts’ opinions.

The following research questions have been formulated:

1. Do ferry operators present themselves as sustainable brands through their marketing communications?

Which of the SDGs do ferry operators claim to contribute to?

The novelty of the research consists in the application of a research perspective, combining an experts survey and analysis of marketing messages, to the ferry transport sector in the Baltic Sea Region–a market where the realisation of the SDGs is still fairly unexplored. The authors have developed an index based on two sources of information: (1) an expert assessment of sustainability categories built on the basis of the SDGs, and (2) an assessment of marketing communications of ferry companies. Using the adopted research framework, twenty ferry companies operating in the Baltic Sea Region were analysed. Apart from interesting results concerning this particular market, a useful methodological tool for assessing the status of sustainability communications by business entities has been developed in the course of the study. The research framework can be applied to other shipping markets, and to other industries. The findings contribute to the corporate sustainability and SDGs-related literature, as well as research into management in the maritime transport.

The research object and the research method make the study unique, as compared to any prior research. Indeed, engagement of business entities, including those operating in the transport sector, in the realisation of the SDGs, and marketing communications as a tool for creating the image of a socially and environmentally responsible company, have been previously examined in scientific research [5, 6]. However, never before has the focus of such research been made on the ferry shipping industry or the specific character of its operations. The study object are ferry operators in the Baltic Sea Region, one of the major ferry shipping markets in the world [7]. It is characterised, among others, by the fact that the same ferry fleet is employed to handle passenger and cargo shipping [8]. Hence, the business strategies applied have to cover both market segments, and the marketing communications targeted to businesses as well as customers–passengers.

The study is organised as follows. The literature background in Section 2 includes an outline of challenges posed by the UN Sustainable Development Goals, results of recent research into the engagement of the shipping industry in the realisation of the SDGs, and an explanation of the role of marketing communications in this respect. In Section 3, the study object, i.e., ferry companies operating in the Baltic Sea Region, has been reviewed. The research method is described in Section 4, and Section 5 provides a discussion of the results. In Section 6, conclusions have been drawn, managerial implications proposed, and directions for future research indicated.

2. The literature background

2.1. Contribution to the realisation of the Sustainable Development Goals by the shipping industry

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the 169 associated targets, adopted in the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda in 2015, are aimed to stimulate “action over the next 15 years in areas of critical importance for humanity and the planet” [9, p. 3]. The achievement thereof is conditioned upon overcoming challenges connected with the establishment of international policies, improving resource management, and a skilful integration of the synergy effect among the goals [10]. According to the Sustainable Development Goals Report 2023, a steady progress has been observed in the achievement of some of the SDGs. Nevertheless, progress towards some of the SDGs is unknown for lack of relevant data, whereas some of the SDGs are due to be delayed or the achievement thereof is in question, such as, e.g. SDG13 –Climate change [11].

The fact that the United Nations’ Agenda 2030 calls primarily upon the Member States to take action does not imply that enterprises should not get involved in the realisation of the SDGs or report progress in this respect. It must be emphasized here that the Agenda 2030 poses challenges also for companies, which should adjust their operations, strategies, and corporate sustainability reporting practices to the requirements of the SDGs [12]. Since the SDGs reporting is not mandatory, the information made public in this respect by enterprises in certain sectors is symbolic rather than substantial [13]. At the same time, in the face of competitive pressure, enterprises may tend to imitate one another’s sustainability reporting policies [14], including the practice of reporting on the SDG performance in their marketing communications [15, 16].

The major role of enterprises in the realisation of the Agenda 2030 and the inclusion of the SDGs in business strategies have been already recognized in the prior research literature [17–19]. Sustainability reporting with an indication of specific SDGs supported by the conducted business operations is becoming increasingly common [20]. The practice is applied especially by multinational corporations across a wide variety of industries [21]. Certain attempts to assess entire industry branches in terms of the SDGs prioritization, and to estimate the feasibility of realisation of the SDGs, have been made in a number of research studies [13, 22, 23]. In many of them, an analysis of the approach towards the realisation of the SDGs and the reporting on the same is broken down by the geographical region of operation and the type and nature of business organisation [24]. Various factors influencing the SDG adoption and reporting, such as, e.g., company size, financial performance, environmental risks, board size and structure, and regulatory context, are pointed out [25].

According to the principles of the Agenda 2030, achievement of all the SDGs is equally important to ensure a sustainable development of the world society. However, not all SDGs are equally relevant for a company [22, 26, 27] and companies enjoy the freedom of interpretation thereof and assigning them to the conducted business operations [28]. Initiatives have been taken to guide how to translate the SDGs into guidelines for sustainable business operation and contribute with company’s own activity to the realization of the SDGs [29, 30]. Moreover, organisations which develop sustainability reporting standards, such as, e.g., the GRI or the IIRC, have published guidance documents for inclusion of the SDGs into their framework [31, 32].

Viewed from another perspective, a discord has been observed between the SDGs realised for the common good and business goals of modern corporations aiming at increasing financial gains for the benefit of their shareholders and investors [18]. The discord is part of a broader discussion on the place and role of business in the modern world. An ideal solution would be to convert sustainable development challenges into business opportunities, which is difficult, but not impossible [33].

Enterprises which would assume social and environmental responsibility and provide sustainability reports in the past, tend to take a SDG-oriented approach to their current activity and marketing communications. Many similarities can be found between the concept of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and the SDG-oriented approach. They are both built around the environmental, social, and economic aspects of business activity and modern societies. Nevertheless, the SDGs are defined in general terms and relate to entire societies or even the humanity, hence the incorporation thereof into actions which can be taken by business entities is an intricate task [15, 16, 18].

The shipping industry has already adopted the concepts of CSR and corporate sustainability as a basis for highlighting the contribution made to the achievement of the SDGs. Some of the SDGs, such as combating climate change, had been taken into consideration in the business strategies of some leading shipping companies even before the Agenda 2030 and the SDGs were established. The approach can be observed through an analysis of sustainability reports, websites, social media posts and other marketing communications by shipowners. It has been and continues to be embedded in the concepts of CSR and Corporate Sustainability, which, although have different roots, share the same vision of balancing economic responsibilities with social and environmental ones [34]. Nowadays, some shipowners attempt to incorporate them into the classification of the SDGs.

The CSR-related topics most commonly examined in research into the shipping industry include environmental issues (e.g. ballast water, oil spills, air pollution and emissions), diversity issues (e.g. gender unequal employment and/or payment issues), and business ethics (e.g. anti-corruption, anti-bribery) [35]. The type of CSR initiatives undertaken by shipping companies largely depends on the market segment they operate in and their business profile. For instance, shipowners operating on the cargo market focus on the anticipated customer expectations, and engage in solutions to environmental, occupational safety, rights of workers, and welfare issues [36]. Passenger shipping companies, on the other hand, apart from the activity in the area of environmental performance, which is common for all the shipping market segments, promote a wider inclusion of social and philanthropic aspects [37]. The sustainable approach onboard covers management practices and implementation of emerging technology solutions [38]. New technologies are applied in all areas on board–from digital navigation and data management through low-emission fuel solutions to waste management and education [39–41]. Nevertheless, the level of CSR maturity in the shipping industry is believed to be rather low compared to other industries [42], although research carried out in the Baltic Sea Region shows that shipping companies are slowly opening to the possible competitive advantage gains they may obtain through engaging in sustainable and responsible operations [43].

Realisation of the SDGs by the shipping industry is strongly endorsed by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO). As stated in the IMO SDGs Strategy, the IMO supports the Member States in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda as a whole, at the same time identifying the areas of most impact of its work, namely SDG14 (life below water), SDG13 (climate change), SDG9 (industry, innovation and infrastructure) and SDG5 (gender equality), and SDG17 (partnerships and resource mobilization) [44]. The measures implemented to this end by the IMO include primarily legislation; however, the IMO also acts as an educator and promotes as well as recommends activity to be taken by various entities of the Member States. The IMO has set a general direction for its Member States in their implementation of the 2030 Agenda, and has proposed a general interpretation of each of the SDGs with a focus on the feasibility of achievement of the same by the maritime sector and the maritime community. The possible activity in this respect is described in very general terms, leaving the administration authorities and business entities of the Member States free to take their own decisions.

Realisation of the SDGs in the maritime transport is not extensively discussed in the literature. Selected research papers are listed in Table 1. Kronfeld-Goharani, one of the first researchers dealing with the SDGs in the maritime transport, has highlighted corporate opportunities for strengthening the SDGs and contributing to a “sustainable blue growth” [45]. Di Vaio et al. [4] have undertaken to assess operations of four largest cruise and container ship owners and assign them to the realisation of individual SDGs. An analysis of sustainability reports for cruise shipping companies has revealed involvement in the realisation of all the SDGs. Container ship owners have not come out equally well in the analysis, as several SDGs have been found to remain unaddressed, namely SDG 6, 11, and 15. Nevertheless, in conclusion, leaders of the both market segments have been found to reveal a high level of commitment towards activity and reporting on sustainability issues, especially in the area of environmental impact. The analysed reports are fairly general on social goals and impact, with data presented descriptively rather than as facts and figures on the achieved outcomes. Efforts of all the shipowners under analysis towards clear communications aimed at sustainability disclosure have been assessed positively.

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Table 1. Most relevant literature on SDG adoption and reporting in the shipping industry.

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Another analysis of shipowners’ operations and assignment of SDGs has been performed by Wang et al [6]. The study sample was more extensive, as it covered 40 container shipping liners and 16 terminal operators. An interesting conclusion from the analysis is a breakdown of the SDG-related activities into three categories, aimed to help assess the SDG implementation status in the maritime economy. The key category are core responsibilities, including safe and healthy working environment (from the area of SDG 8), development of green technologies and transport infrastructure (SDG 9), responsible waste management and ship recycling (SDG 12), and ballast water management and coastal ecosystem protection (SDG 14). The other two categories are considered additional and cover extended responsibilities. The study discussed herein is also based on detailed categories of activities rather than on broadly defined SDGs.

Prior research work into the shipping industry and the SDGs examines sustainability reports and social media communications without a focus on particular SDGs but rather referring to a general message shared by all the SDGs jointly. Within this approach, Zhou et al. [3] have proposed three major categories of activities which container shipping companies should report on, namely employee training and management, sustainable business management, and sustainable ship operation. They are further broken down into more detailed subcategories.

A new research approach–applied, inter alia, to the shipping industry–is an analysis of sustainability disclosure in social media. According to a ranking of SDGs as perceived by stakeholders in social media (Twitter and Facebook), developed by Zhou et al. [47], the most important SDGs in the opinion of stakeholders are SDG 6, 14, 5, 8, and 11.

In a great majority of research studies, the tasks of the maritime transport sector in the area of the SDG implementation are analysed across all or nearly all the SDGs. The approach is applied in studies focusing on shipowners only as well as in those which investigate the entire blue economy including, inter alia, oil and gas industry, marine renewable energy production, aquaculture, port activities, sea tourism, or shipbuilding [49, 50]. The same approach has been taken in this study. It is worth noting here, however, that research is in progress investigating the commitment into and outcomes of broadly defined economic and political activity in the maritime sector with reference to one SDG only, most commonly SDG 14 –life below water [51, 52], which can be classified as a goal in the area of natural environment. Although it seems to be a justified approach, Xue and Lai [46] reiterate that the social and economic aspects of the maritime transport operations must not be ignored, and that the greatest challenge faced on the way towards the sustainable development of maritime transport is SDG 12 (sustainable production and consumption), which corresponds to the current goals of the economic development directly influencing the quantities of cargo carried by sea.

3. An overview of passenger ferry shipping in the Baltic Sea

The Baltic Sea is one of the largest brackish water bodies in the world, covering an area of 420 000 km². It is a semi-enclosed shallow sea with an average depth of 60 m, where one third of the area is less than 30 m deep [69]. It is one of the busiest passenger shipping areas in the world [70]. The Baltic countries, including Sweden, Finland, Russia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Germany, and Denmark, have well-established ferry connections (Fig 1).

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Fig 1. Main ferry connections between the Baltic countries (Sweden, Finland, Russia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Germany, and Denmark).

Source: Reprinted from [71] under a CC BY license, with permission from Freightlink Solutions Ltd, original copyright 2023.

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There are over 50 passenger ferry terminals and harbours in the Baltic Sea which handle passenger shipping on a regular basis. Some harbours feature one ferry terminal, others have more than one (e.g. Tallinn, Helsinki, Turku, and Stockholm). The offering of ferry voyages in the Baltic Sea is very diverse, from 30-minute passages on small, 50-person ferry boats to overnight voyages onboard ferries which can accommodate up to 3,000 passengers. Most of the voyages in the northern Baltic Sea are overnight, the southern Baltic Sea is criss-crossed with short-distance ferry connections e.g., from Poland and Germany to Denmark and Sweden. There are at least 20 ferry operators in the Baltic Sea offering passenger and car ferry services. Uniqueness of the area lies in the fact that on some routes, the smallest ferry operators can successfully compete with giants. Many of the Baltic countries feature an insular coast, and passenger ferry connections are used to commute to work or shop for food and household supplies [72].

A list of main international ferry routes in the Baltic Sea Region and major ferry operators is shown in Table 2. The list includes ferry routes which start and finish in the Baltic Sea, and so is exclusive of ferry routes to Norway or Denmark, as well as of domestic ferry routes (e.g. in Poland, Germany, the Åland Islands, etc.).

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Table 2. Ferry routes in the Baltic Sea Region and main ferry operators.

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Ferries of the Ro-Pax type, which have both passenger spaces and holds for vehicles and other ro-ro cargo, are operated on most of the routes. Ro-Pax ferry boats feature passenger cabins, seats on the main deck, restaurants, shops and entertainment spaces. Vehicles are driven into the holds and parked there for the voyage. At the port of destination, vehicles are driven out of the ferry boat [72].

The legal regulations applicable in the Baltic Sea Region are stricter than those in other parts of the world, due to its hydrological structure and a marine ecosystem which requires special protection [74]. The limits of SOx and NOx emissions which apply in the Baltic Sea, as well as in the North Sea, are lower than anywhere else in the world. Therefore, shipping companies operating in the area invest in innovative and environmentally friendly ferry boats powered by alternative fuels. Ferry operators in the Baltic Sea Region should base their business strategies on environmental activity and gain competitive edge through offering high service quality [72].

4. Research methods

A diagram of the research procedure comprising all the research phases is shown in Fig 2.

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Fig 2. Research procedure.

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In the first step of the research, ten areas, referring to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the 169 tasks, which may be addressed in the marketing communications of ferry companies, have been selected. In their choice, the authors supported themselves with the reporting frameworks and standards (i.e., GRI), and the academic literature. The selected areas have been named sustainability categories (SCi). Listed in Table 3, they are assigned to selected SDGs. For information purposes and better visualisation, the graphical icons developed by the UN for particular sustainable development goals have been used.

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Table 3. List of sustainability categories (SCi).

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The experts survey (Survey 1) was conducted at the end of March and the beginning of April 2023 using the Computer Assisted Web Interview (CAWI), which is a type questionnaire survey. The questionnaire was developed in Google Forms and mailed to 11 experts selected as a non-random sample. The selection criterion was an at least several-year professional experience in maritime transport or tourism (with a special focus on sea tourism). A great majority of experts in the study sample have more than 23 years of experience (Fig 3). They conduct scientific research and draw up expert’s opinions for businesses. Written informed consent was obtained from all experts involved in the study.

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Fig 3. Breakdown of experts participating in the survey by years of experience in the maritime transport/tourism [%].

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The experts survey was aimed to develop a ranking of importance of the sustainability categories (Ranking 1) listed in Table 3. The first question asked whether ferry operators should refer to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (17 SDGs) in marketing communications. Further questions asked whether websites of ferry operators should contain information on: air pollution emissions, greenhouse gas emissions, energy and water consumption, waste management, food waste mitigation, social involvement, application of a code of ethics, cooperation with local partners and suppliers, voyage safety, and support provided to passengers with special needs (e.g., disabilities); i.e., individual sustainability categories. Experts responded using a 5-point Likert scale (5 –I definitely agree, 4 –I agree, 3 –neutral, 2 –I disagree, 1 –I definitely disagree).

The ranking of sustainability categories, i.e., topics which, according to the experts, should be addressed on the website of a ferry operator, has been developed on the basis of the relative importance index (RII) [75], modified as follows: (1) where n₁, n₂, n₃, n₄ and n₅ the number of respondents (experts) who selected from 1 to 5.

According to the value of RII_SCi(E), each SCi was assigned a weight, where the top position in the ranking had a weight of 9, and weights of the following positions descended down to the bottom position with a weight of 1. Two SCis whose values of RII_SCi(E) were equal were assigned the same weights.

Survey 2 consisted in an assessment of the SDG-related marketing communications on websites and in reports of ferry operators in the Baltic Sea Region.

The ferry companies under analysis have been selected on the basis of the Megalist of Baltic Sea Ferry Operators 2023 [76]. These are all operators serving the Baltic Sea market at that time. They are listed in Table 4.

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Table 4. Ferry companies operating in the Baltic Sea Region (Pj).

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Marketing communications on websites and in reports of the ferry operators under analysis have been assessed for inclusion of information referring to the sustainability categories listed in Table 3. A 6-point scale has been used, as follows: 0 –No information, 1 –The topic is mentioned, 2 –The topic is mentioned and an extensive explanation included, 3 –One example of action is provided, 4 –More than one example of action is provided, 5 –Information is provided in a separate tab/file/document.

Using the weights from Ranking 1, obtained in Survey 1, in combination with the assessment of marketing communications obtained in Survey 2, the level of involvement of ferry companies and the entire ferry shipping market in the performance of actions assigned to the sustainability categories has been assessed.

Taking into consideration the weights of individual sustainability categories (based on Ranking 1), total weighted marks have been calculated, which can be construed as representing commitment into the realisation of selected SDGs as mentioned in the marketing communications by the enterprises. For this purpose, an original concept of the SDGs Commitment Index in Marketing Communication (SCIMC) index has been developed, calculated from the following formula: (2) where: o_SCi(Pj)–mark granted to the company website for a particular SCi, w(SCi)–weight assigned to that SCi.

The SCIMC(P_j) index can have a value of 0 to 5. The higher the index value, the higher the commitment to the realisation of the SDGs represented in marketing communications. The SCIMC(P_j) index has been used to establish a ranking of enterprises (Ranking 2). Depending on the index value, the level of commitment into the realisation of the SDGs represented in the marketing communications, can be described as: high (at least 4.00), medium (at least 3.00 but less than 4.00), low (at least 2.00 but less than 3.00), and very low (less than 2.00). Calculated for a single enterprise, the SCIMC(P_j) index shows its commitment to the SDGs in the marketing communications.

Survey 2 consisted in an analysis of the selected enterprises and another one of the entire Baltic ferry market as a whole. Ranking 3 developed on the basis of Survey 2 showed contribution to sustainability categories in the Baltic ferry market. For this purpose, i.e., in order to establish a ranking of sustainability categories by their representation on websites of the 20 ferry companies under analysis jointly, the relative importance index (RII) [75] was used again, this time modified as follows: (3) where o₀, o₁, o₂, o₃, o₄ and o₅ is the number of companies granted a mark from 0 to 5.

5. Results and discussion

The first question in the experts questionnaire survey (Survey 1) asked about the validity of creating marketing communications referring to the 17 SDGs. A great majority of experts acknowledged that ferry operators should refer to the SDGs in their marketing communications, only one expert acknowledged the opposite. Based on the responses provided to other questions, a ranking of sustainability categories has been created (Table 5 - Ranking 1). The topics of key importance, which, according to the experts’ opinion, should be addressed on websites of ferry companies, are voyage safety (SC9) and support for passengers with special needs, including disabilities (SC10). Cooperation with local partners and suppliers (SC8) and food waste mitigation (SC5) ranked at the bottom. The ranking is shown in Table 5, with weights assigned to each SCi. The experts questionnaire survey was validated with internal consistency by calculating Cronbach’s alpha. The result equals 0.941 which is above the threshold criterion of 0.7 and means that the data can be regarded as highly acceptable [77].

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Table 5. Ranking of sustainability categories (Ranking 1).

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An analysis of the contents of websites (Survey 2) has revealed a varied approach to communications on commitment to the SDGs. Although the companies operate in the same area and many of them compete with one another, they do not follow a single standard of marketing communications concerning sustainability. Only six out of twenty companies under analysis publish a sustainability/ESG report, and only five of them declare commitment to specific SDGs (Table 6). Other companies, although do not publish sustainability reports or refer to any specific SDGs relevant to their operations, communicate their priorities and activity in this area. Therefore, in order to assess sustainability communications and the companies’ commitment to the realisation of the SDGs, it is recommended to extend the research by evaluating the sustainability criteria related to specific SDGs.

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Table 6. Publication of a sustainability report by the ferry companies under analysis.

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The Sankey diagram in Fig 4 demonstrates which sustainability categories are referred to most in marketing communications of the enterprises under analysis. It also shows the total of points obtained by each enterprise and the sustainability categories to which the points are assigned. Eckerö Line scored the highest in all the examined categories, save for SC10. Some of the enterprises under analysis scored zero in all the categories. The Sankey diagram also shows which categories are most often referred to in the marketing communications of all the companies jointly. SC2 and SC9 rank at the top, which means that sustainability communications by operators in the Baltic ferry market covers primarily greenhouse gas emissions and voyage safety. Hence, it can be concluded that sustainability communications in the Baltic ferry market is built around SDG 3, 9, 11, 13, and 14.

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Fig 4. Strength of connections between marketing communications of the ferry operators under analysis and the sustainability categories/ SDGs.

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The information gathered was used to calculate the SCIMC(P_j) index. Table 7 shows a ranking of the ferry companies under analysis, by the SCIMC(P_j) index value–Ranking 2.

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Table 7. Ranking of ferry companies (Ranking 2).

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Here, the maximum constituent scores have been obtained for SC1 –SC5. No references have been found to the application of a code of ethics (SC7). The application of a code of ethics receives the least coverage on the websites of the enterprises under analysis, despite the fact that according to the surveyed experts it is a topic of high importance (the fourth position in the ranking of experts’ opinions). Equally rare is information on food waste mitigation (SC5); however, this aspect of realisation of the SDGs has been indicated by the experts as the least important in marketing communications. The enterprises in positions three to six have obtained similar values of the SCIMC(Pj) index (within a range of 3.00 do 3.58). The maximum constituent scores for the websites of those enterprises have been obtained for information on greenhouse gas emissions (SC2), energy and water consumption (SC3), waste management (SC4), and voyage safety (SC9). As many as eleven enterprises communicate the realisation of the SDGs at a very low level of the SCIMC(Pj) index of less than 2.0. Four enterprises have scored zero, i.e., they do not post any information on the realisation of the SDGs.

Subsequently, calculations have been made for the entire Baltic ferry market. Ranking 3 of contribution to sustainability categories by the Baltic ferry market, by the RII_SCi(P) index, is shown in Fig 5. A comparison of Ranking 3 with the results of the experts survey about the validity of creating marketing communications referring to the 17 SDGs (Table 5) shows that part of the information considered by the experts to be of key importance is never provided on websites of many of the enterprises under analysis. The correlation between the weight assigned on the basis of the experts’ opinion and the presence of the information on the websites is not observed in all the cases.

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Fig 5. Ranking of contribution to sustainability categories by the Baltic ferry market (Ranking 3).

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Voyage safety (SC9) ranks at the top in both rankings. According to the information on the websites, the enterprises attach a lot of importance to greenhouse gas emissions (SC2), a category which has been considered by the experts as of low importance and ranked sixth. According to the experts, information on food waste mitigation (SC5) is of least importance; equally low importance is attached to it by the companies under analysis in their marketing communications. Support provided to passengers with special needs (SD10), highly regarded by the experts, has ranked at the bottom half of the ranking of websites. Waste management (SC4) has ranked third in both rankings.

SC2 –greenhouse gas emissions–deserves special attention in view of the introduction of new legal regulations. Ro-Pax ferries are characterised by a relatively lower fuel consumption; e.g., compared to container ships, by 6.7% on international routes [1]. However, despite the fact that emissions in the Baltic Sea are lower than in other shipping markets, ferry lines need to adjust to new circumstances of operation based on the cornerstones of sustainable development. Within the European Union, the principles of operation are imposed not only under the IMO regulations, but also under the EU legal framework, including the recently introduced regulations aimed at combating climate change, such as the ‘Fit for 55’ package and the EU taxonomy. The time horizon for the introduction of necessary changes is short-term, taking into consideration the high investments which have to be made by shipowners as well as sea harbours. One example of the changes to be implemented is the requirement that passenger ferries and containerships at berth in an EU port be connected to an onshore power supply (OPS), which is to come into force as of January 1, 2030. Exemptions from the requirement shall apply to vessels laying at berth for under two hours and emergencies [78].

6. Conclusions

Currently, ferry operators are not legally obliged to report on the manners or scope of realisation of the sustainable development goals. Enterprises may decide to do so at their own discretion; however, many decide not to, considering the relevant information and data as sensitive. Meanwhile, research results have shown that making information on the ferry operator’s commitment to the realisation of the SDGs available to the public is a meaningful part of marketing communications. According to experts’ opinion, potential customers may attach importance to such information and rely on it when choosing a ferry operator. The following categories of information have been considered of special importance by the experts: voyage safety, support provided to passengers with special needs (e.g., disabilities), waste management, and application of a code of ethics. A fact worth noting here is that the two categories which have been assigned the highest weights are directly related to social goals. A study of the literature has shown that activity aimed at realising social goals receives the least coverage in marketing communications of enterprises operating in the maritime transport. Most of them focus on tasks related to environmental protection.

This paper examines marketing communications of ferry operators related to the realisation of sustainable development goals. Considering the specific character of their business operations, ferry companies need to address not only business clients (transport companies, carriers, tourist companies), but also individual customers (tourists and other passengers).

The study has provided answers to the posed research questions. The first research question asked whether ferry shipowners present themselves as sustainable brands through marketing communications (RQ1). The results of the study show that sustainability marketing communications by ferry shipowners is varied and no single standard has been developed in this regard. Three patterns of conduct have been identified. One is based on publishing contents on corporate sustainability and direct references to the SDGs. Out of twenty enterprises under analysis, five have been found to follow this pattern (Finnlines, Viking Line, Tallink, StenaLine, and Destination Gotland). What is interesting, the leader in the ranking of enterprises by the SCIMP(Pi) index does not fall into this group. The SCIMP (Pj) index values calculated for these five enterprises have been defined as medium.

Another pattern consists in informing about the activity aimed at contribution to the sustainable development goals but not using the SDG-related terminology. This pattern is followed, inter alia, by Eckerö Line, which ranked at the top in the ferry shipowners ranking as the only ferry operator whose SCIMP index value is within the ‘high’ range. What is interesting, the company operates only two ferry boats on the Helsinki–Tallin route. Two other ferry companies, Tallink-Silja Line and Viking Line, operate on the same route using a larger number of ferry boats and communicating on sustainability issues on their websites. Therefore, all the ferry operators competing on the same route attach a lot of attention to sustainability communications. It may suggest that communications on the realisation of the SDGs serve as a competitive edge. The latter has been confirmed in previous research described in the literature, whose results suggest that the increasing social awareness of the necessity to commit to the realisation of the SDGs in all areas of social and economic life, as well as the activity undertaken by the competition, may soon contribute to mutual imitation of the schemes of sustainability reporting [14], and inclusion of information on the realisation of the SDGs into the company’s marketing communication [15].

Notwithstanding the above, the third of the identified patterns has the greatest number of followers. It consists in not publishing sustainability reports nor making references to either sustainability categories or directly to the SDGs in marketing communications. Low SCIMC(Pj) index values have been recorded for more than a half of the companies under analysis (eleven out of twenty). Evidently, sustainability issues are still underestimated by many business enterprises to such an extent that they fail to inform their clients on the inclusion of the same in their business strategies. It should be mentioned here that many ferry companies which do engage in sustainability-oriented activity do not post any information on the same on their websites. This is probably due to the fact that they do not see the potential such information may have in attracting prospective customers.

The second research question (RQ2) concerned identification of the SDGs which the ferry shipowners claim to contribute to. The analysis revealed that voyage safety (SC9) and greenhouse gas emissions (SC2) are the two categories which the ferry companies operating in the Baltic Sea Region are most committed to. Those categories are related to, respectively, SDG_3 (Good health and wellbeing), SDG_9 (Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure), SDG_11 (Sustainable cities and communities), SDG_13 (Climate action), and SDG_14 (Life below water). These SDGs are referred to most in marketing communications, but they do not constitute an exhaustive list of SDGs which ferry operators refer to, directly or indirectly.

The presence of information concerning commitment to the SDGs in selected areas only partly coincides with the weights assigned to individual SDGs by the experts. Marketing communications on the realisation of social goals definitely gives way to that on commitment to the realisation of environmental goals. While sustainability requires balanced development in all its aspects [79].

The results of the study presented herein may have a practical as well as theoretical value. In practical terms, they may help ferry operators realise that communications concerning commitment to selected SDGs may be meaningful to prospective customers and inclusion of the same in their marketing communication may bring tangible business gains. Special focus should be made on social goals, which are currently markedly neglected.

In theoretical terms, this paper fills a research gap, as the topic of marketing communications of ferry companies is practically non-existent in the literature of the subject. Moreover, the proposed SDGs Commitment Index in Marketing Communication (SCIMC) is a valuable contribution to the modern research tools, as it can be applied to assess the level of commitment to the realisation of SDGs in the conducted marketing communications both for a single enterprise and to develop rankings of enterprises.

The focus of this research are companies operating in the Baltic Sea Region. However, an extension of the research is envisioned to include other areas, with a view to obtain more universal outcomes and draw more reliable conclusions concerning current developments in marketing communications of ferry companies and inclusion of information on actions taken towards the SDGs. Application of the same research framework will make it possible to obtain comparable results and perform a reliable comparative analysis. Conclusions concerning the approach of ferry operators to building a business strategy which takes into consideration the SDGs and methods of communication of the same to customers may give an insight into relations between business activity and sustainability issues in the maritime transport and support the development of a framework of good practices in this respect.

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