Spatial heterogeneity, driving factors and synergistic effects of CO2 and air pollutant emissions from internal trucks in container ports

Measures for the synergistic mitigation of climate change and air pollution have gained growing attention to reap the co-benefits of reducing greenhouse gas and pollutant emissions. As container trucks are significant sources of emissions in port cities, profiling and curbing their exhaust is essential for advancing synergistic climate-and-air-pollution control. Taking Shanghai and Ningbo-Zhoushan Ports of China as examples, this study proposed a framework to explore the spatial heterogeneity, driving factors and synergistic effects of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) and air pollutant (AP) emissions from internal container trucks. From 2013 to 2022, the annual CO2 and most AP emissions increased in both ports, except that NOx and SO2 emissions decreased by 16.3 % and 99.8 % in Shanghai Port and the SO2 emission decreased by 93.5 % in Ningbo-Zhoushan Port. The “oil-to-gas” conversion suppresses CO2 and SO2 emissions in both ports and curbs NOx and PM2.5 emissions in Ningbo-Zhoushan Port. Although the synergistic effects of CO2 and AP emissions varied across space and time, both ports are projected to start synergistic reductions of CO2 and APs no later than 2034, 2033 and 2031 under the Business-as-Usual, Emission Reduction Scenario and Enhanced Emission Reduction Scenario, respectively. The framework proposed in this study can potentially be extended to port areas around the world and provide insights for policy aimed at addressing climate change and air pollution in port areas.