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Effects of CO₂ Emissions Control on Transportation and Its Energy Use

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2025) | Viewed by 18342

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Márcio de Almeida D'Agosto

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Guest Editor

Freight Transport Laboratory, Transportation Engineering Program, Alberto Luiz Coimbra Instituto of Postgraduation and Research in Engineering, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro 21941-917, Brazil
Interests: transportation; energy use; environmental impacts; green logistics; sustainable mobility
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Renata Albergaria de Mello Bandeira

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Graduate School of Transport Engineering, Civil Engineering Department, Military Institute of Engineering, Praça General Tibúrcio, 80, Praia Vermelha, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
Interests: humanitarian logistics; green logistics; sustainable mobility

Prof. Dr. Carlos Eduardo Sanches de Andrade

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Undergraduate School of Transport Engineering, Transport Engineering Department, Federal University of Goiás, Rua Mucuri, S/N, área 03, Bairro Conde dos Arcos, 74968-755, Aparecida de Goiânia, GO, Brazil
Interests: sustainable transportation; CO2 emissions; renewable energy; life cycle assessment; rail systems

Dr. Luciana Maria Baptista Ventura

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Guest Editor

Freight Transport Laboratory, Transportation Engineering Program, Alberto Luiz Coimbra Instituto of Postgraduation and Research in Engineering, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, 21941-917, Brazil
Interests: sustainable transportation; CO₂ emissions; renewable energy; atmospheric pollutant emissions inventory

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Due to the extensive use of fossil fuels, transportation is globally one of the main contributors to carbon dioxide emissions, which is the most important greenhouse gas responsible for global warming and its effects on climatic changes and extreme events. Therefore, controlling and mitigating emissions of carbon dioxide (CO₂) and relevant greenhouse gases (GEE) such as methane (CH₄) and nitrous oxide (N₂O) in transportation is known as one of the mandatory actions worldwide to avoid climatic problems.

In such a context, this Special Issue of Sustainability seeks to publish contemporary works that present innovative contributions on GEE emissions’ mitigation and control, as well as its impacts on the use of current or advanced energy sources in transportation. All kinds of contributions related, but not restricted, to the different research fields listed below are welcome:

Sustainable low emission and zero emission mobility (passenger and freight)
Freight transport in sustainable supply chain and/or in green logistics
Electromobility (passenger and freight)
The use of biofuels in transportation (all transport modes)
The use of hydrogen (H₂) in transportation (all transport modes)
Improvements in conventional fossil fuels use to reduce GEE emissions
Sustainable approach of micro mobility–bicycles, scooters, motorcycles as part of a sustainable transportation system for passengers and freight
Active transportation systems–walking, use of bicycles and tricycles for passenger and freight
Advanced propulsion system technologies for road vehicles (battery electric vehicles–BEV, hybrid vehicles–electric and/or hydraulic systems, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles–PHEV, combined technologies–wired and wireless electric vehicles)
Advanced propulsion systems technologies and fuels for aquatic and air transportation (hybrid-drive ships, modern ship sails for combined propulsion, wind and solar energy use in ships and planes, hydrogen use in ships and planes
Completely advanced transportation systems for passenger and freight like drones and hyperloop
The use of transportation-specific methodologies such as avoid/shift/improve (ASI), activity/structure/intensity/fuel (ASIF) and wide-comprehensive tools such as life cycle assessment (LCA) or well-to-wheel (WTW) approach are welcome, but not mandatory
Top down bottom up and combined/complementary approach for atmospheric pollutant and GEE inventories are also welcome

All submitted material must make clear its innovative contribution and the control and/or mitigation action(s) considered, the amount of GEE emissions reduced and its impacts on the use of energy in transport. In addition, the economic and financial evaluation of each action and ways of financing it is also desired.

Prof. Dr. Márcio de Almeida D'Agosto
Prof. Dr. Renata Albergaria de Mello Bandeira
Prof. Dr. Carlos Eduardo Sanches de Andrade
Dr. Luciana Maria Baptista Ventura
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

CO₂ emission control
sustainable mobility
greenhouse gases
atmospheric pollutants
environmental impacts

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Published Papers (8 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 7612 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Impact of Last-Mile Delivery Fleet Electrification on Emissions, Dispersion, and Health: An Environmental Justice Analysis Based on Dallas County, Texas

by Jaesik Choi and Kate Hyun

Sustainability 2025, 17(8), 3718; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17083718 - 20 Apr 2025

Viewed by 249

Abstract

The increasing popularity of online shopping leads to more last-mile deliveries and higher emissions from last-mile delivery trucks. Despite small amounts being emitted from the tailpipe of delivery trucks, there can be a significant amount of fine particulate matter that degrades the health quality of residents from aggregated delivery trucks at the community level. Addressing the environmental impact of last-mile deliveries is needed to achieve the sustainability goals because air pollution mitigation can reduce mortalities. This study employs a comprehensive methodology to assess the health impact of fine particulate matter from last-mile delivery trucks and the benefits of their electrification. It uses a three-tiered modeling approach, incorporating emissions measurement, exposure level evaluation, and health impact assessment. In addition, this paper shows the changes in health impacts at the various levels of the fleet electrification rate using a case study in Dallas County, Texas. The results indicate that higher fine particulate matters are concentrated near or on the major roadways and transportation facilities. This study also shows the relationships between last-mile delivery emissions and socio-economic variables and found that younger, racial minorities and low-income communities are exposed to higher last-mile emissions due to the proximity of their residences to major truck corridors. To evaluate the health impacts of fleet electrification, this study uses 2%, 10%, and 30% market shares of fleet electrification. The results indicate that for 2% of the market share of fleet electrification to last-mile delivery trucks, up to 1 death per year can be prevented, while 70 deaths per year can be prevented with 30% of electrification for the whole traffic. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of CO₂ Emissions Control on Transportation and Its Energy Use)

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16 pages, 968 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Increasing Electric Vehicle Charger Availability with a Mobile, Self-Contained Charging Station

by Robert Serrano, Arifa Sultana, Declan Kavanaugh and Hongjie Wang

Sustainability 2025, 17(6), 2767; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17062767 - 20 Mar 2025

Viewed by 666

Abstract

As the transition to sustainable transportation has accelerated with the rise of electric vehicles (EVs), ensuring drivers have access to charging to maximize the electric miles driven is critical to lowering carbon emissions in the transportation sector. Limited charging station capacity and poor reliability, especially during peak travel times, long-distance travels, holidays, and events, have hindered the adoption of EVs and threaten the progress toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Adaptive, flexible deployment strategies combined with innovative approaches integrating mobility and renewable energy are essential to address these systemic challenges and bridge the current infrastructure gap. To address these challenges, this study proposes a self-contained, mobile charging station (MCS). Designed for rapid deployment, the proposed MCS increases charging capacity during demand surges while minimizing reliance on fossil fuels. The feasibility of integrating a solar canopy with this MCS to further reduce carbon emissions is also studied. This study weighed the pros and cons of differing cell chemistries, sized the battery using data provided by the United States’ largest public CPO, and discussed the feasibility of a solar canopy for off-grid energy. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of CO₂ Emissions Control on Transportation and Its Energy Use)

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14 pages, 3580 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Development of Particulate Matter Concentration Estimation Models for Road Sections Based on Micro-Data

by Doyoung Jung

Sustainability 2024, 16(21), 9537; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16219537 - 1 Nov 2024

Viewed by 942

Abstract

With increasing global concerns related to global warming, air pollution, and environmental health, South Korea is actively implementing various particulate matter (PM) reduction policies to improve air quality. Accurate data analysis, including the investigation of weather phenomena, monitoring, and integrated prediction, is essential for effective PM reduction. However, the factors influencing the PM generated from domestic road sections have not yet been systematically analyzed, and currently, no predictive models utilize weather and traffic data. This study analyzed the correlations among factors influencing PM to develop models for estimating fine and coarse PM (PM_2.5 and PM₁₀, respectively) concentrations in road sections. Regression analysis models were used to assess the sensitivity of PM_2.5 and PM₁₀ concentrations to the traffic volume, whereas machine learning-based models, including linear regression, convolutional neural networks, and random forest models, were constructed and compared. The random forest models outperformed the other models, with coefficients of determination of 0.74 and 0.71 and mean absolute errors of 5.78 and 9.60 for PM_2.5 and PM₁₀, respectively. These results indicate that the random forest model provides the most accurate PM concentration estimates for road sections. The practical applications of the developed models were considered to inform effective transportation policies aimed at reducing PM. The developed model has practical applications in the formulation of transportation policies aimed at reducing PM. In particular, the model will play an important role in data-driven policymaking for sustainable urban development and environmental protection. By analyzing the correlation between traffic volume and weather conditions, policymakers can formulate more effective and sustainable strategies for reducing air pollution. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of CO₂ Emissions Control on Transportation and Its Energy Use)

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15 pages, 2209 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Applying the Hypothetical Extraction Method to Investigate Intersectoral Carbon Emission Linkages of China’s Transportation Sector

by He He, Yunhuan Gao and Xiaolei Wang

Sustainability 2024, 16(10), 4046; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16104046 - 12 May 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1592

Abstract

The transportation sector is an indispensable link in the industrial chain of an economic system. Considering the current push to comprehensively construct new patterns of development, the transportation sector is under huge pressure to achieve the goal of “carbon peak and carbon neutral”. Therefore, to develop low-carbon transportation in China, it is important to study the carbon emission linkages in its transportation sector in order to understand its potential and the factors affecting carbon mitigation. In this study, sectoral carbon emission linkages and dynamic changes during the period of 2002–2020 for the transportation sector in China were quantitatively investigated based on the input–output analysis and hypothetical extraction method (HEM). The results showed that the total carbon emission linkages for the transportation sector mainly experienced growth, increasing by 848.63 Mt from 2002 to 2020, with consistently stronger supply-side than demand-side carbon emission linkages. This indicates that the potential of the transportation sector for carbon reduction lies upstream in the chain of carbon emission linkages. Furthermore, the transportation sector was consistently a net export sector of carbon emissions, and net carbon transfer decreased with fluctuations. Regarding carbon emissions from the transportation sector, the construction sector was found to be main destination for the majority of these emissions, while the power supply sector was the largest source. The policy implications derived from this research can serve as a crucial lever for the low-carbon development of China’s transportation sector. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of CO₂ Emissions Control on Transportation and Its Energy Use)

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17 pages, 745 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Development of Policy-Relevant Dialogues on Barriers and Enablers for the Transition to Low-Carbon Mobility in Brazil

by Daniel Neves Schmitz Gonçalves, George Vasconcelos Goes, Márcio de Almeida D’Agosto and Emilio Lebre La Rovere

Sustainability 2022, 14(24), 16405; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142416405 - 8 Dec 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2095

Abstract

Establishing viable targets and pathways to achieve low-carbon mobility is proving to be a growing challenge, especially in emerging economies. Brazil has faced persistent economic and political crises, impacting current and future climate policies. The acceleration of resource exploitation and environmental degradation has increased the role of the transport sector in mitigating Brazilian emissions. Despite advances in instruments aimed at high-capacity infrastructure and the biodiesel and ethanol markets, electric mobility and other advanced biofuels, such as biokerosene and green diesel, are moving slowly. Part of this stems from severe technical, policy, and financial barriers that need to be addressed. This paper identifies the main barriers faced and the instruments needed to accelerate decarbonization in the Brazilian transport sector. To this purpose, a stakeholder-oriented approach is developed and applied to distill low-carbon opportunities and enablers over the next decade. This article reveals the important relationship between climate commitments, the different obstacles faced, and the possible consequences, taking different perspectives on appropriate reference points. By 2025, instruments aimed at electric mobility and public transport, although still scarce in current policies, will have greater potential for implementation. This contrasts with other advanced biofuels, which are not expected until the end of the decade. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of CO₂ Emissions Control on Transportation and Its Energy Use)

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22 pages, 8647 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Water Vapor Injection on the Performance and Emissions Characteristics of a Spark-Ignition Engine

by Ming-Hsien Hsueh, Chao-Jung Lai, Meng-Chang Hsieh, Shi-Hao Wang, Chia-Hsin Hsieh, Chieh-Yu Pan and Wen-Chen Huang

Sustainability 2021, 13(16), 9229; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13169229 - 17 Aug 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 4556

Abstract

The exhaust emissions from Internal Combustion Engines (ICE) are currently one of the main sources of air pollution. This research presented a method for improving the exhaust gases and the performance of a Spark-Ignition (SI) engine using a water vapor injection system and a Non-Thermal Plasma (NTP) system. These two systems were installed on the intake manifold to investigate their effects on the engine’s performance and the characteristics of exhaust emission using different air/fuel (A/F) ratios and engine speeds. The temperatures of the injected water were adjusted to 5 and 25 °C, using a thermoelectric cooler (TEC) temperature control device. The total hydrocarbons (HC), nitrogen oxide (NO_x), and engine torque were measured at different A/F ratios and engine speeds. The results indicated that the adaptation of the water vapor injection system and NTP system increased the content of the combustibles and combustion-supporting substances while achieving better emissions and torque. According to the test results, while the engine torque under 25 °C water+NTP was raised to 7.29%, the HC under 25 °C water+NTP and the NO_x under 25 °C water were reduced to 16.31% and 11.88%, respectively. In conclusion, the water vapor injection and the NTP systems installed on the intake manifold could significantly reduce air pollution and improve engine performance for a more sustainable environment. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of CO₂ Emissions Control on Transportation and Its Energy Use)

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17 pages, 4454 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Research on the Vehicle Emission Characteristics and Its Prevention and Control Strategy in the Central Plains Urban Agglomeration, China

by Xiaowei Song and Yongpei Hao

Sustainability 2021, 13(3), 1119; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13031119 - 21 Jan 2021

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 4119

Abstract

With rapid economic development and urbanization in China, vehicle emissions are increasingly becoming one of the major factors affecting air quality. The Central Plains Urban Agglomeration (CPUA), which has undergone a fast increase in vehicle population and has an advantageous geographical location, was selected as the study area. Vehicle emissions estimated based on the COPERT IV model in this area changed greatly between 1999 and 2015, during which time the emissions of NO_x, CO₂, and NH₃ increased markedly. Passenger cars and light-duty vehicles were the main contributors to pollutants CO and non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOC) emissions. Heavy-duty trucks and buses were the important contributors to pollutants NO_x, PM_2.5, and PM₁₀. Passenger cars were the major contributors to CO₂, CH₄, N₂O, NH₃, and SO₂. The city with the most emissions is Zhengzhou, followed by Luoyang, Shangqiu, and Zhoukou. The spatial distribution of vehicle emissions has formed around or tended to concentrate in urban centers. Then, this study also predicts the vehicle emissions from 2015 to 2025 and designs ten policy scenarios for the prevention and control of emissions to evaluate the emission reduction effect. The radical integrated scenario was most effective for controlling CO, NMVOC, NO_x, PM_2.5, PM₁₀, CO₂, N₂O, and NH₃ emissions than any one scenario by itself. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of CO₂ Emissions Control on Transportation and Its Energy Use)

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18 pages, 1564 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Multitier Approach to Estimating the Energy Efficiency of Urban Passenger Mobility

by Daniel Neves Schmitz Gonçalves, Renata Albergaria de Mello Bandeira, Mariane Gonzalez da Costa, George Vasconcelos Goes, Tássia Faria de Assis, Márcio de Almeida D’Agosto, Isabela Rocha Pombo Lessi de Almeida and Rodrigo Rodrigues de Freitas

Sustainability 2020, 12(24), 10263; https://doi.org/10.3390/su122410263 - 9 Dec 2020

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2291

Abstract

As society has experiences new modes of mobility in recent years, cities have planned to increase their energy efficiency as a way of reducing environmental impacts and promoting economic development. However, governments face difficulties in establishing mechanisms to determine the best actions in the management of urban mobility regarding energy efficiency and to elaborate a ranking of cities based on energy efficiency in order to better allocate resources. This is due to the complex nature of obtaining a wide range of activity and energy data from a single municipality, especially in data-scarce regions. This paper develops and applies a model for estimating the energy efficiency of urban mobility that is applicable to different contexts and backgrounds. The main contribution of the article is the use of a multitier approach to compare and adjust outputs, considering different transport configurations and data sets. The results indicate that variations in vehicle occupancy and individual motorized transport rates have a significant impact on energy efficiency, which reached 0.70 passenger-kilometers/MJ in Sorocaba, Brazil. However, as the use of electric vehicles increases in this city, this scenario is expected to change. Additionally, the method has been proven to be an important mechanism for benchmarking purposes and for the decision-making process for transport investments. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Effects of CO₂ Emissions Control on Transportation and Its Energy Use)

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