Sustainable Port Development: Balancing Economic Growth and Environmental Stewardship in Indonesian Hub Ports

The accelerating expansion of Indonesian hub ports under the Pelindo consolidation program and the national Sea Toll Road initiative has intensified the tension between port economic growth imperatives and environmental stewardship obligations, demanding an integrated sustainability governance framework capable of balancing these competing yet ultimately interdependent objectives. This study constructs and validates a sustainability performance scorecard integrating economic, ecological, and social dimensions for Indonesian hub ports, examining how current port development strategies align with Sustainable Development Goals and green economy targets. Employing a qualitative research design with thematic analysis, the study engaged port sustainability managers, environmental regulators, maritime economists, and community representatives from Indonesia's five major hub port corridors as primary respondents. Findings reveal an overall sustainability governance composite score of 4.02 out of 5.00, with green infrastructure investment and community social impact management identified as the most critically underdeveloped sustainability dimensions. The research demonstrates that Indonesian hub port sustainability is substantially constrained by fragmented governance frameworks, insufficient environmental monitoring capacity, and inadequate community stakeholder engagement mechanisms. The study contributes a replicable sustainability governance model for port authorities across the Indonesian archipelago, with direct implications for maritime policy education at STIP Jakarta.