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Energy Saving and Emission Reduction from Green Transportation

A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Energy Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2025 | Viewed by 4943

Special Issue Editors

Business School, Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou 221116, China
Interests: energy and environmental management; environmental behavior; environmental accounting
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor
School of Public Affairs, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
Interests: sustainable development; green transportation and energy conservation

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Guest Editor
College of Economics and Management, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China
Interests: pro-environment behavior; energy-saving policy

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Guest Editor
School of Economics, Hefei University of Technology, Hefei 230009, China
Interests: energy consumption and cabon emissions; regional economy; economic geography; digital economy; carbon market
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Green transportation, generally referring to people traveling by foot, bicycle, bus, or rail, is widely considered an effective solution for reducing the transportation system's fossil fuel dependency and emissions. People traveling by private low-pollution vehicles, such as electric vehicles, hybrid.

electric vehicles, natural gas vehicles, and hydrogen-powered vehicles, are also part of green transportation. However, the assessment of energy saving and emission reduction in green transportation faces a challenge with technical progress and energy transition. Therefore, it is necessary to identify factors that influence the environmental assessment of green transportation under the present economic and social conditions. In response to such an issue, we are organizing a Special Issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050) in this area.

We invite colleagues to submit research papers, communications, and review articles for our consideration. We welcome the submission of papers including, but not limited to, the following topics:

  • Energy saving and emissions reduction for green transport modes;
  • Carbon neutrality and green transportation;
  • Life cycle assessment of green transport modes;
  • Environmental impacts of transportation electrification;
  • Environmental Rebound Effect of green transport;
  • Determinants of green transport mode adoption;
  • Policies for green transportation.

We look forward to receiving your response, and if there is any further information you require, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Dr. Wenbo Li
Dr. Shanyong Wang
Dr. Xiu Cheng
Dr. Jun Li
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • energy saving
  • emission reduction
  • green transportation
  • life cycle assessment
  • transportation electrification

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

22 pages, 4651 KiB  
Article
Assessing the Deployment of Electric Aircraft from Energy, Environmental, and Economic Perspectives
by Ye Liang, Wei Zhang and Chengjiang Li
Sustainability 2025, 17(12), 5453; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17125453 - 13 Jun 2025
Viewed by 412
Abstract
Electric aircraft represent a promising pathway for decarbonizing the aviation sector, offering significant potential for sustainable transformation in air transportation. This study develops a life cycle assessment–multi-criteria decision-making analytical framework to evaluate the developmental prospects of electric aircraft. This study employs life cycle [...] Read more.
Electric aircraft represent a promising pathway for decarbonizing the aviation sector, offering significant potential for sustainable transformation in air transportation. This study develops a life cycle assessment–multi-criteria decision-making analytical framework to evaluate the developmental prospects of electric aircraft. This study employs life cycle assessment (LCA) to evaluate electric aircraft development and integrates multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) to assess their potential. First, LCA and life cycle cost (LCC) are applied to compare the energy consumption, environmental impact, and economic costs of electric versus conventional aircraft. These results then inform MCDM, with the system boundary guiding indicator selection. The results show that electric aircraft consume slightly more energy than conventional aircraft, and the pollutant emissions are only 50% of that of conventional aircraft, thereby significantly reducing life cycle pollutant emissions and exhibiting high development potential. The cost of conventional aircraft significantly exceeds that of electric aircraft. Total energy consumption, global warming potential, and fuel usage cost are essential for electric aircraft development. This study provides valuable insights for stakeholders seeking to advance sustainable aviation solutions while addressing complex technical and economic considerations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Energy Saving and Emission Reduction from Green Transportation)
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31 pages, 928 KiB  
Article
Motivating Green Transition: Analyzing Fuel Demands in Turkiye Amidst the Climate Crisis and Economic Impact
by Emine Coruh, Mehmet Selim Yıldız, Faruk Urak, Abdulbaki Bilgic and Vedat Cengiz
Sustainability 2025, 17(11), 4851; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17114851 - 25 May 2025
Viewed by 727
Abstract
Decarbonizing the transportation sector is critical for sustainable development, particularly in rapidly urbanizing countries like Turkiye. This study analyzes fuel demand elasticities for diesel, gasoline, and LPG across 12 NUTS-1 regions of Turkiye in 2022, using a panel random effects SUR approach. The [...] Read more.
Decarbonizing the transportation sector is critical for sustainable development, particularly in rapidly urbanizing countries like Turkiye. This study analyzes fuel demand elasticities for diesel, gasoline, and LPG across 12 NUTS-1 regions of Turkiye in 2022, using a panel random effects SUR approach. The model accounts for regional variation and fuel interactions, producing robust estimates that uncover significant spatial and temporal differences in consumption patterns. Uniquely, diesel demand displays a significantly positive price elasticity, challenging the conventional assumption of inelasticity. Gasoline demand is moderately price-sensitive, while LPG appears relatively unresponsive. Strong cross-price elasticities—especially between diesel and gasoline—point to substitution effects that can inform more adaptive policy frameworks. Seasonal fluctuations and Istanbul’s outsized impact also shape national trends. These findings underscore the need for differentiated region- and fuel-specific strategies. While higher gasoline taxes may effectively reduce demand, lowering diesel and LPG use will require complementary measures such as infrastructure upgrades, behavioral incentives, and accelerated adoption of alternative fuels. The study advocates for regionally adjusted carbon pricing, removal of implicit subsidies, and targeted support for electric and hybrid vehicles. Aligning fiscal tools with actual demand behavior can enhance both the efficiency and equity of the transition to a low-carbon transportation system. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Energy Saving and Emission Reduction from Green Transportation)
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24 pages, 4163 KiB  
Article
A Sustainable Production Planning Scheme for New Energy Vehicles in China
by Lu Xiao, Feiyue Yang, Yong Yang, Che Chen and Wuer Ha
Sustainability 2024, 16(19), 8543; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16198543 - 30 Sep 2024
Viewed by 1414
Abstract
The carbon emissions of new energy vehicles (NEVs)have transited from the use stage to the production stage, indicating that the environmental impact of NEVs in the manufacturing stage cannot be ignored. To reduce carbon emissions and maintain profits, this study proposes a fuzzy [...] Read more.
The carbon emissions of new energy vehicles (NEVs)have transited from the use stage to the production stage, indicating that the environmental impact of NEVs in the manufacturing stage cannot be ignored. To reduce carbon emissions and maintain profits, this study proposes a fuzzy multi-objective optimization model to achieve a sustainable production planning scheme for NEVs. The proposed model not only considers the maximum profits of automobile enterprises but also the minimum target of carbon emissions in the production process, to coordinate the optimal production quantity. The results show that the output of NEVs in different price ranges has different proportions. The market share of blade electric vehicles is the highest, accounting for 39% of the NEV market, and the proportion of plug-in hybrid and blade electric vehicles is increasing. The sensitivity analysis further reflects the impact of government subsidy “recession” and body lightweight on the output, carbon emissions, and annual profits of NEVs in China. Accordingly, this paper provides policy implications for achieving a sustainable production planning scheme for NEVs in China. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Energy Saving and Emission Reduction from Green Transportation)
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21 pages, 2793 KiB  
Article
Study on the Theme Evolution and Synergy Assessment of China’s New Energy Vehicle Policy Texts
by Shasha Wang and Sheng Mai
Sustainability 2024, 16(17), 7260; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16177260 - 23 Aug 2024
Viewed by 1574
Abstract
Drawing on data from 133 Chinese New Energy Vehicle (NEV) policy documents from 2007 to 2023, this study utilizes Dynamic Topic Modelling (DTM), social network analysis and a quantitative model to investigate the evolutionary path of policy themes and the coordination effects. The [...] Read more.
Drawing on data from 133 Chinese New Energy Vehicle (NEV) policy documents from 2007 to 2023, this study utilizes Dynamic Topic Modelling (DTM), social network analysis and a quantitative model to investigate the evolutionary path of policy themes and the coordination effects. The following results were obtained. (1) A thematic cross-sectional analysis identified six core policy themes, namely, coordinated promotion of technology and finance, industry development and safety standardisation, market service and technical support systems, promotion strategy and urban cluster development, industrial capital and safety supervision mechanisms, and policy support and market expansion. The analysis also mapped the distribution of hot spots within these themes. (2) The keyword co-occurrence network of the NEV policy indicated that the network structure evolved from an initial ‘overall dispersion–theme concentration’, comprising 16 policy themes, to an ‘overall stability–theme coordination’, consisting of 14 policy themes. (3) The coordination degrees across the three types of policies exhibited a consistent upward spiral, with the comprehensive coordination index surging from 30 in 2007 to 951 in 2023, underscoring the complementary effects among policy instruments. These conclusions offer valuable insights for government departments to understand NEV development trends and dynamically adjust policy themes accordingly. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Energy Saving and Emission Reduction from Green Transportation)
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