Does shipping reduce industrial carbon emissions? Evidence from China’s Three Gorges Dam

IF 7.7 1区工程技术 Q1 ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES

Transportation Research Part D-transport and Environment Pub Date : 2025-09-16 DOI:10.1016/j.trd.2025.105000

Quanfei Zhang , Mengrui Xie , Qihang Li

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Abstract

Addressing global climate change necessitates a significant transformation in the transportation sector, moving towards low-carbon solutions to achieve emission reduction targets. Shipping, as an efficient mode of transport, offers distinct advantages in optimizing transportation structure and reducing transportation costs. This paper focuses on the shipping function of the Three Gorges Dam in China. It employs double machine learning techniques to investigate how this affects carbon emissions within industrial firms. The study finds that the Three Gorges Dam Water Storage and Navigation (TGD-WSN) significantly reduce carbon emissions, with an average reduction of 6.40 %. This effect mainly results from the shift of companies to more economical and environmentally friendly waterway transportation, which effectively reduces fossil fuel consumption. This research provides new insights for assessing the environmental benefits of large hydraulic projects and offers important guidance for promoting the low-carbon transition in the transportation sector.

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航运能减少工业碳排放吗？来自中国三峡大坝的证据

应对全球气候变化需要交通运输部门进行重大转型，转向低碳解决方案，以实现减排目标。海运作为一种高效的运输方式，在优化运输结构、降低运输成本方面具有明显的优势。本文主要研究了三峡大坝的航运功能。它采用双重机器学习技术来研究这如何影响工业企业的碳排放。研究发现，三峡大坝蓄航工程显著减少了碳排放，平均减少6.40%。这种影响主要是由于企业转向更经济、更环保的水路运输，这有效地减少了化石燃料的消耗。该研究为评估大型水利工程的环境效益提供了新的见解，并为促进交通运输部门的低碳转型提供了重要指导。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Transportation Research Part D-transport and Environment 工程技术-运输科技

CiteScore

14.40

自引率

9.20%

发文量

314

审稿时长

39 days

期刊介绍： Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment focuses on original research exploring the environmental impacts of transportation, policy responses to these impacts, and their implications for transportation system design, planning, and management. The journal comprehensively covers the interaction between transportation and the environment, ranging from local effects on specific geographical areas to global implications such as natural resource depletion and atmospheric pollution. We welcome research papers across all transportation modes, including maritime, air, and land transportation, assessing their environmental impacts broadly. Papers addressing both mobile aspects and transportation infrastructure are considered. The journal prioritizes empirical findings and policy responses of regulatory, planning, technical, or fiscal nature. Articles are policy-driven, accessible, and applicable to readers from diverse disciplines, emphasizing relevance and practicality. We encourage interdisciplinary submissions and welcome contributions from economically developing and advanced countries alike, reflecting our international orientation.