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Sustainable Transport Services, Energy Policy, and Environmental Impact Assessment
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Sustainable Transport Services, Energy Policy, and Environmental Impact Assessment

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (28 September 2023) | Viewed by 26113

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Eva Llera

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Zaragoza, Campus Río Ebro, Edificio Betancourt, Maria de Luna, 50015 Zaragoza, Spain
Interests: energy; sustainability; alternative fuels; LCA
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

It is my great pleasure to invite you to submit your most recent research on assessing sustainability-related aspects in transport for this Special Issue.

The transport sector’s environmental impact is an unplaceable issue that is being addressed globally from both government policies and companies' management.

As transport contributes to the carbon footprint of most products, goods or services, the sector has progressively adopted rules for measuring the GHG emissions and implement strategies for its reduction.

As for the strategies proposed, a majority are focused on revising technological aspects, although there is much room for improvement in optimizing the services themselves as is the case with multimodality. Although there is a strong commitment to electric mobility, a transition period is expected in which combustion engines will remain a key element in the sector. The use of alternative fuels such as biogas, biofuels or synthetic fuels based on renewables can ensure the continuity of particular services in a low-emission scenario for which electricity is not adequate. On the other hand, in the transport sector, CO2 capture and storage technologies in ships and vehicles can be critical in the medium term.

Historically, the feasibility of any innovation in the transport sector has covered only technical and economic aspects, with the return on investment as the primary indicator. Today, considering sustainability as a broader concept, it is also necessary to assess environmental and socioeconomic impacts. The transport sector is directly responsible for a high volume of polluting emissions and an essential economic driver. The objective of this Special Issue is to disseminate work to advance the knowledge of new strategies for sustainable transport, with an explicit characterization of those aspects that can be decisive for policy development or decision-making by the rest of the stakeholders. For this reason, the development or application of methodologies and indicators for measuring the impacts of the transport on any of the three axes of sustainability will also be welcomed.

I am aware that the theme opens multiple approaches, including eco-innovation in the transport sector, alternative fuels, fleet management, energy policies, life cycle analysis of processes and services, and environmental and socioeconomic impact assessment.

I expect that this Special Issue can contribute to the design and implementation of energy policies in transport, both at governmental and company level, thanks to the generation of consistent and reliable data.

Prof. Dr. Eva Llera
Guest Editor

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

  • sustainable transport
  • energy efficiency
  • GHG
  • environmental impact
  • socioeconomic impact
  • alternative fuels
  • impact assessment

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Published Papers (8 papers)

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Research

26 pages, 1595 KiB  
Article
Achieving a Sustainable Transportation System via Economic, Environmental, and Social Optimization: A Comprehensive AHP-DEA Approach from the Waste Transportation Sector
by Hala Hmamed, Asmaa Benghabrit, Anass Cherrafi and Nadia Hamani
Sustainability 2023, 15(21), 15372; https://doi.org/10.3390/su152115372 - 27 Oct 2023
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3130
Abstract
Given the growing global emphasis on sustainable transportation systems, this research presents a comprehensive approach to achieving economic, social, and environmental efficiency in transport within the waste management sector. To address the different challenges of sustainable transportation issues, this paper presents a hybrid [...] Read more.
Given the growing global emphasis on sustainable transportation systems, this research presents a comprehensive approach to achieving economic, social, and environmental efficiency in transport within the waste management sector. To address the different challenges of sustainable transportation issues, this paper presents a hybrid multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) approach that incorporates the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) along with data envelopment analysis (DEA) for sustainable route selection. By leveraging the strengths of both methods, this approach reconciles conflicting requirements and diverse perspectives, facilitating effective decision making. This paper involves identifying relevant criteria for route evaluation, engaging waste management company experts and stakeholders in pairwise comparisons using AHP. Furthermore, DEA is used to calculate route efficiency based on the inputs and outputs of the system. These evaluations enable the identification of the most effective and sustainable routes. This proposed methodology empowers decision makers and transportation policymakers to develop an effective decision-making tool for addressing waste transportation challenges in developing countries. The study contributes to the growing body of research on sustainable waste management practices and provides insights for waste management companies and decision makers on how to optimize waste transportation routes while reducing economic, social, and environmental impacts. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Transport Services, Energy Policy, and Environmental Impact Assessment)
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13 pages, 1107 KiB  
Article
Impact of Fuel Production Technologies on Energy Consumption and GHG Emissions from Diesel and Electric–Hydrogen Hybrid Buses in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
by Camila Padovan, Júlia A. G. Fagundes, Márcio de Almeida D’Agosto, Ana Carolina M. Angelo and Pedro J. P. Carneiro
Sustainability 2023, 15(9), 7400; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15097400 - 29 Apr 2023
Viewed by 1802
Abstract
In view of the GHG reduction targets to be met, Brazilian researchers are looking for cleaner alternatives to energy sources. These alternatives are primarily to be applied in the transport sector, which presents high energy consumption, as well as high CO2 emissions. [...] Read more.
In view of the GHG reduction targets to be met, Brazilian researchers are looking for cleaner alternatives to energy sources. These alternatives are primarily to be applied in the transport sector, which presents high energy consumption, as well as high CO2 emissions. In this sense, this research developed an LCI study considering two bus alternatives for the city of Rio de Janeiro: diesel-powered internal combustion buses (ICEB) and a hydrogen-powered polymer fuel cell hybrid bus (FCHB). For the FCHB, three hydrogen production methods were also included: water electrolysis (WE), ethanol steam reforming (ESR) and natural gas steam reforming (NGSR). The research was aimed at estimating energy consumption, including the percentage of energy that is renewable, as well as CO2 emissions. The results show diesel as the energy source with the highest emissions as well as the highest fossil energy consumption. Regarding the alternatives for hydrogen production, water electrolysis stood out with the lowest emissions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Transport Services, Energy Policy, and Environmental Impact Assessment)
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19 pages, 2502 KiB  
Article
Automotive Electrification Challenges Shown by Real-World Driving Data and Lifecycle Assessment
by Michael Neidhardt, Jordi Mas-Peiro, Antonia Schneck, Josep O. Pou, Rafael Gonzalez-Olmos, Arno Kwade and Benedikt Schmuelling
Sustainability 2022, 14(23), 15972; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142315972 - 30 Nov 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2138
Abstract
Electric mobility is considered a solution to reduce carbon emissions. We expanded a lifecycle assessment with data on technical limitations and driving habits (based on real-world data) in order to identify the environmentally optimal drivetrain for each individual driving behavior with current and [...] Read more.
Electric mobility is considered a solution to reduce carbon emissions. We expanded a lifecycle assessment with data on technical limitations and driving habits (based on real-world data) in order to identify the environmentally optimal drivetrain for each individual driving behavior with current and projected technologies, focusing on CO2 emissions. By combining all data, an environmentally optimal European drivetrain mix is calculated, which is dominated by fuel-cell electric vehicles (50% in 2020, 47% in 2030), followed by plug-in hybrid-electric vehicles (37%, 40%), battery-electric vehicles (BEV) (5%, 12%), and Diesel vehicles (2%, 1%). Driving behavior defines the most environmental drivetrain and the coexistence of different drivetrains is currently still necessary. Such information is crucial to identify limitations and unmet technological needs for full electrification. If range is not considered a limitation, the environmentally optimal drivetrain mix is dominated by BEVs (71%, 75%), followed by fuel cell electric vehicles (25%, 19%) and plug-in electric vehicles (4%, 6%). This confirms the potential environmental benefits of BEVs for current and future transportation. Developments in battery energy density, charging, and sustainable production, as well as a change in driving behavior, will be crucial to make BEVs the environmentally optimal drivetrain choice. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Transport Services, Energy Policy, and Environmental Impact Assessment)
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19 pages, 4050 KiB  
Article
Choice of Emission Control Technology in Port Areas with Customers’ Low-Carbon Preference
by Haiying Zhou and Wenjing Zhang
Sustainability 2022, 14(21), 13816; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142113816 - 25 Oct 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 1502
Abstract
The choice of emission control technology in a port supply chain under a cap-and-trade scheme considering low-carbon preferences of customers, is explored in this study. In port areas, the port supply chain consisting of one port and one ship can adopt either shore [...] Read more.
The choice of emission control technology in a port supply chain under a cap-and-trade scheme considering low-carbon preferences of customers, is explored in this study. In port areas, the port supply chain consisting of one port and one ship can adopt either shore power (SP) or low sulfur fuel oil (LSFO) to reduce emissions. The economic and social performance of the port supply chain when either SP or LSFO is implemented is compared under three different game models (port-leader Stackelberg game, ship-leader Stackelberg game and the Nash game). The obtained results show that the profits and emissions in the Nash game are higher than those in the other two games. When environmental concern is relatively small, social welfare in the Nash game is the highest, while social welfare in the one-party-dominant structure is superior to that in the Nash structure, under high environmental concern. When the customers’ low-carbon preferences and carbon prices are low, both the supply chain’s profits and carbon emissions when LSFO is used are higher than those from using SP. From the perspective of social welfare maximization, in general, LSFO is preferred when carbon price, customers’ low-carbon preference and environmental concern are all low or are all high. Otherwise, SP is the optimal decision. The findings can provide insights for governments in formulating emission control policies according to their own interests. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Transport Services, Energy Policy, and Environmental Impact Assessment)
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15 pages, 928 KiB  
Article
Development of Inland Waterway Transport as a Key to Ensure Sustainability: A Case Study of Lithuania
by Elena Plotnikova, Milita Vienažindienė and Stasys Slavinskas
Sustainability 2022, 14(17), 10532; https://doi.org/10.3390/su141710532 - 24 Aug 2022
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3758
Abstract
To ensure the development of sustainability, the Europe Union (EU) set the goal of becoming a climate-neutral economy by 2050. The EU’s ambitious new target cannot be achieved without the involvement of all modes of transport in order to reduce emissions. According to [...] Read more.
To ensure the development of sustainability, the Europe Union (EU) set the goal of becoming a climate-neutral economy by 2050. The EU’s ambitious new target cannot be achieved without the involvement of all modes of transport in order to reduce emissions. According to it, the development of inland waterway transport is a key to ensuring sustainability. Calculations proving the benefits of developing the use of inland waterway transport for ensuring sustainability using the example of the Republic of Lithuania were carried out in this paper. Namely, the calculation of the benefit from the transfer of part of the cargo flow from the busy highway A1 Kaunas–Klaipeda to Neman River (inland waterway of international importance E41). Modeling and detailed comparison using the method of calculating the impact on the main external costs (accidents, air pollution, climate change, noise, habitat damage, congestion) showed that external costs are lower when transporting cargo by river. Increasing the barge capacity from 1000 t to 1800 t reduces the external cost of climate change by 25%. Moreover, replacing diesel with liquefied natural gas can reduce the external costs of climate change by 15% to 25%. The greatest effect is achieved by reducing the level of noise, congestion, and safety. It is possible to enlarge the positive effect by using energy generated by solar or wind power plants for electric-powered ships. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Transport Services, Energy Policy, and Environmental Impact Assessment)
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17 pages, 1775 KiB  
Article
Social Organizational Life Cycle Assessment of Transport Services: Case Studies in Colombia, Spain, and Malaysia
by Jose Luis Osorio-Tejada, Eva Llera-Sastresa, Sabina Scarpellini and Tito Morales-Pinzón
Sustainability 2022, 14(16), 10060; https://doi.org/10.3390/su141610060 - 14 Aug 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2129
Abstract
Freight operations are relevant for economies but can negatively impact society due to the performance of activities related to fuel production, vehicle manufacturing, and infrastructure construction. This study applies the social organizational life cycle assessment (SO-LCA) methodology to analyze the social performance of [...] Read more.
Freight operations are relevant for economies but can negatively impact society due to the performance of activities related to fuel production, vehicle manufacturing, and infrastructure construction. This study applies the social organizational life cycle assessment (SO-LCA) methodology to analyze the social performance of companies involved in the supply chain of road transport companies located in different contexts such as Latin American, European, and Asian. The results of the three case studies are compared to analyze the methodology’s robustness and the influence of development and culture on how social performance is perceived. An approach for the SO-LCA, based on the UNEP/SETAC guidelines, was applied to freight companies in Colombia, Spain, and Malaysia. This integrated approach considers the key components of the transport system: fuels, vehicles, and infrastructure. A multi-tier inventory analysis was performed for 26 social impact subcategories, and reference scale assessments were applied to obtain single and aggregated social performance indexes. Interviews with stakeholders were used to aggregate indexes and identify priorities for decision-making in different contexts. First, the stakeholders concurred that freight companies must focus on labor rights to improve their social performance. The second social category in order of importance was human rights, except in the Spanish case study, where it was socioeconomic repercussions. These results indicate that social impact subcategories are influenced by socioeconomic development and the culture or beliefs of its inhabitants. These specificities help identify hotspots and stakeholder concerns toward which transport companies should direct their efforts. This study expands the range of indicators for social impact measurement and the known literature by investigating social matters for different categories of stakeholders spanning three continents. When these indicators are fully developed, their consideration in management practices could benefit business practitioners. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Transport Services, Energy Policy, and Environmental Impact Assessment)
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16 pages, 2825 KiB  
Article
Strategic Environmental Assessment of Land Transportation: An Application of DEA with Undesirable Output Approach
by Chia-Nan Wang, Tran Quynh Le, Ching-Hua Yu, Hsiao-Chi Ling and Thanh-Tuan Dang
Sustainability 2022, 14(2), 972; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14020972 - 15 Jan 2022
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 2447
Abstract
The efficiency of land transportation contributes significantly to determining a country’s economic and environmental sustainability. The examination of land transportation efficiency encompasses performance and environmental efficiency to improve system performance and citizen satisfaction. Evaluating the efficiency of land transportation is a vital process [...] Read more.
The efficiency of land transportation contributes significantly to determining a country’s economic and environmental sustainability. The examination of land transportation efficiency encompasses performance and environmental efficiency to improve system performance and citizen satisfaction. Evaluating the efficiency of land transportation is a vital process to improve operation efficiency, decrease investment costs, save energy, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and enhance environmental protection. There are many methods for measuring transportation efficiency, but few papers have used the input and output data to evaluate the ecological efficiency of land transportation. This research focuses on evaluating the environmental efficiency for land transportation by using the data envelopment analysis (DEA) method with undesirable output to handle unwanted data. By using this, the paper aims to measure the performance of land transportation in 25 Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries in the period of 2015–2019, considered as 25 decision-making units (DMUs) in the model. For identifying the ranking of DMUs, four inputs (infrastructure investment and maintenance, length of transport routes, labor force, and energy consumption) are considered. At the same time, the outputs consist of freight transport and passenger transport as desirable outputs and carbon dioxide emission (CO2) as an undesirable output. The proposed model effectively determines the environment-efficient DMUs in a very time-efficient manner. Managerial implications of the study provide further insight into the investigated measures and offer recommendations for improving the environmental efficiency of land transportation in OECD countries. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Transport Services, Energy Policy, and Environmental Impact Assessment)
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15 pages, 1932 KiB  
Article
Green Shipping Effect on Sustainable Economy and Environmental Performance
by J. Augusto Felício, Ricardo Rodrigues and Vitor Caldeirinha
Sustainability 2021, 13(8), 4256; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13084256 - 12 Apr 2021
Cited by 25 | Viewed by 8006
Abstract
This paper focuses on green shipping and its’ influence on the sustainable economy and environmental performance. Based on the green shipping approach, this empirical study examines a survey sample of 193 responses from Portuguese and Spanish executive managers and uses exploratory factor analysis [...] Read more.
This paper focuses on green shipping and its’ influence on the sustainable economy and environmental performance. Based on the green shipping approach, this empirical study examines a survey sample of 193 responses from Portuguese and Spanish executive managers and uses exploratory factor analysis and structural equation model. The Green shipping approach supports the green theory. The results show the importance of green efficiency, green management, and pollution impact. The confirmation of the sizeable influence of green shipping on the sustainable economy and environmental performance constructs constitutes a major contribution to the literature. Green management and green efficiency contribute to controlling the impact of pollution with practical effects on economic sustainability. Another contribution arises from the fact that tax and financial incentives and environmental sustainability regulations indicate the relevance of the pollution impact and sustainable economy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Transport Services, Energy Policy, and Environmental Impact Assessment)
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