IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/trapol/v178y2026ics0967070x25005001.html

Study on the impact of population migration on transport carbon emissions

Author

Listed:
  • Li, Jiajia
  • Li, Siyuan

Abstract

To support China's “double carbon” goals and low-carbon transport development, this study empirically examines the impact and mechanisms of population migration on transport carbon emissions using spatial econometric and mediation effect models with panel data from 30 Chinese provinces (2013–2020). Results show that both intra-provincial and inter-provincial migration significantly increase local transport carbon emissions, with significant negative spatial spillover effects on neighboring provinces. Regionally, migration reduces emissions in eastern China but increases them in central and western regions. Mechanism tests reveal heterogeneous pathways: urban population size mediates only inter-provincial migration; transport intensity exerts a consistent suppression effect for both types; and green technology progress functions as a negative mediator, indicating that migration may crowd out innovation and thereby raise emissions. This study provides targeted policy implications for region-specific low-carbon transport governance and coordinated development of population migration and emission reduction.

Suggested Citation

  • Li, Jiajia & Li, Siyuan, 2026. "Study on the impact of population migration on transport carbon emissions," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 178(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:trapol:v:178:y:2026:i:c:s0967070x25005001
    DOI: 10.1016/j.tranpol.2025.103957
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0967070X25005001
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.tranpol.2025.103957?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:trapol:v:178:y:2026:i:c:s0967070x25005001. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/30473/description#description .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.