Analyzing the Impact of Different Transport Governance Strategies on Climate Change

• Main Authors: Shengrun Zhang, Frank Witlox
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2019-12-01
• Series: Sustainability
• Subjects: multi-level transport governance; greenhouse effect; climate change; governance; sustainable development; mitigation
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/1/200

The transport industry is one of the few sectors in which emissions continue to grow, contributing 26% to the global CO₂ emissions. Transport agencies everywhere in the world are focusing on mitigation strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Policy-makers are under pressure to tackle the issue of climate change and approach sustainable transport by promoting more sustainable practices and altering behavior. This paper attempts to explore the impact of transport on climate change through the lens of governance by establishing a systematic review framework. The results showed that developing nations should be influential in managing their public transport agencies to achieve economic transformation. They require a functional, reliable, and effective transport system and these can only be derived by properly formulated and implemented policies with the aid of all relevant private, academic, and government bodies working together. This study concluded that developing nations need to manage their pricing methods, using them to facilitate transport systems that are unlikely to affect the climate. To this end, transport policy and governance need to be reviewed to take into account climate change and natural disaster concerns. Additionally, guidelines and strategies should be proposed for every actor involved, i.e., transport community, top-level leaders, and all governmental levels and private sectors.