Decarbonizing road transportation: Barriers and drivers in an emerging economy context

Abstract

The transportation sector ranks as the second-largest contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions, primarily owing to its heavy reliance on fossil fuels. Consequently, the imperative to decarbonize transportation is paramount in the pursuit of sustainable development goals. However, despite its critical importance, research on decarbonization in transportation remains significantly limited. This gap in research is particularly glaring in developing countries, where there is a notable absence of studies addressing the decarbonization challenges within the transport sector. Addressing this research gap, this study aims to investigate the barriers and drivers influencing the decarbonization of the passenger transport sector in an emerging economy context, particularly for Bangladesh. The top three barriers identified include the ’Lack of concrete transportation policy’, ’Lack of decarbonization strategy/policy’, and ’Lack of biofuel refueling station/EV charging station’. These barriers are comprehensively analyzed based on various stakeholder perspectives. In terms of categorical barriers, policy barriers and technical barriers are predominant over other barriers. Despite these challenges, there is a growing interest in decarbonizing the transportation sector, albeit with some limitations. The primary drivers to decarbonize the transport sector include ‘Profitable return on investment’ and ’Government subsidies’. In terms of categorical drivers, economic drivers are dominant, followed by policy and social drivers. These findings are particularly relevant to the government bodies, users, manufacturers, and policymakers, offering valuable insights for navigating the complex landscape of decarbonizing passenger transport in emerging economies.