Improving Transportation Technologies for Carbon Reduction in the Chinese Provinces along the Silk Road

As an economic corridor, the Silk Road Economic Belt (SREB) connects the East to Western nations, where carbon emissions are gradually becoming severe. This study aims to provide solutions for dealing with carbon emissions from the transportation of the SREB in the Chinese range. By employing the Malmquist index method of data envelopment analysis (DEA), this study develops models to test the different carbon-reduction performances (CRP) of transportation in the Chinese provinces along the SREB. This study shows that carbon-reduction performance has improved since 2013 because of the improvements in transportation technology. Technical efficiency, including scale efficiency and pure technological efficiency, may improve carbon reduction, while the lagged technological progress restricts the CRP. It is further suggested that the provincial CRPs are different. The southwest provinces have the best decarbonization performance, followed by the northwest, while the northeast provinces, including Inner Mongolia, underperform compared to the others. Therefore, the government should release some technology-orientated policies as soon as possible to facilitate the improvements in technical efficiency and progress in transportation vehicles and infrastructures in order to consequently reduce carbon emissions.

Automated summary

This study examines the carbon reduction performance of transportation along the Silk Road Economic Belt (SREB) in China using data envelopment analysis. The results show that carbon reduction performance has improved due to advancements in transportation technology. Technical efficiency has a positive impact on carbon reduction, while lagging technological progress restricts carbon reduction performance. Additionally, there are regional differences in carbon reduction performance, with southwest provinces performing the best and northeast provinces performing the worst. Therefore, the government should implement technology-oriented policies to improve technical efficiency and progress in transportation, ultimately reducing carbon emissions.