A Review of Research on the Impact Mechanisms of Green Development in the Transportation Industry

Abstract

Green development in the transportation industry is a new type of development. As the huge energy consumption and carbon emissions generated by the transportation industry have caused many environmental problems, the healthy and environmentally friendly mode of industrial development has received more and more attention. However, the quantification of green development in the transportation industry varies in terms of boundaries, scope, and methods. Due to digital empowerment, the degree of influence and direction of the factors affecting the green development are not fixed. The prediction of future development prospects is relatively single-minded, lacking a comprehensive simulation scenario setting from multiple perspectives. This paper systematically reviews the research progress of green development of the transportation industry from three aspects: development performance assessment, influence mechanism analysis, and development path exploration. After a critical analysis, this study concludes that (1) a clear methodology is needed to assess the direct and indirect non-desired output results of the transportation industry; (2) considering the endogenization of the level of technology, the influence of the interaction between the influencing factors, etc., on the degree and direction of the role of the factors, a more scientific econometric model should be established for in-depth discussion; (3) resident travel options are an important factor affecting environmental issues in transportation. Carbon emission projections and analyses of emission reduction scenarios should integrate the multiple possibilities of residential preferences and policy incentives. The findings of this paper provide valuable references to the energy saving and emission reduction goals of the transportation industry, and the coordinated development of the industry and the economy.