IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jeners/v18y2025i8p1980-d1633326.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

An Analysis of the Synergistic Effects of Air Pollutant Reduction and Carbon Mitigation in Major Emission Reduction Policies in China’s Transportation Sector

Author

Listed:
  • Jingan Zhu

    (Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
    Tyndall Centre, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China)

  • Ping Jiang

    (Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China
    Tyndall Centre, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China)

  • Yuanxiang Chen

    (Yunnan Research Academy of Eco-Environmental Science, Kunming 650034, China)

Abstract

As of 2023, China’s transportation energy carbon emissions account for over 10%, which has a significant impact on achieving “dual carbon” goals. China has successively issued various policies to address pollution emissions in the transportation industry. This study mainly analyzes the synergistic effects of pollution reduction and carbon reduction measures implemented in this industry. We selected 2023 as the base year, focused on promoting new energy vehicles (NEVs), advocating bus transit (ABT), and advancing rail transit (ART) as the three major emission reduction policies, and analyzed their synergistic effects on air pollutant control and greenhouse gas emission reduction. Based on national scale data on driving conditions, energy consumption, and emission factors, the synergistic emission reductions in greenhouse gases and air pollutants brought about by the three policies were first calculated. Then, using the coordinate system of synergistic control effects, cross elasticity analysis of pollutants, and normalization evaluation methods, the multi pollutant synergistic control capabilities of each policy were quantified. Quantitative results revealed that the NEV substitution policy achieved a CO 2 reduction of 100.966 million tons in 2023, alongside reductions of 1.0196 million tons (CO), 59,506 tons (NO x ), 103,500 tons (NMHC), 6266 tons (PM 10 ), and 3071 tons (SO 2 ). Based on the AP eq ranking, its comprehensive benefits (AP eq = 166,734.52) significantly outperform ART (AP eq = 97,414.89) and ABT (AP eq = 19,796.80). The main research conclusion shows that replacing private gasoline cars with new energy vehicles can have a synergistic emission reduction effect on all five types of air pollutants and greenhouse gases involved in this study, with a positive synergistic effect. Moreover, the policy development priority is relatively better based on the synergistic emission reduction equivalent. Both buses and rail transit have not brought about SO 2 emission reduction, nor have they had a positive synergistic effect on SO 2 and CO 2 emission reduction. On this basis, buses also contribute to NO x emissions. For other air pollutants, both rail transit and buses can have a synergistic effect of reducing pollution and carbon emissions.

Suggested Citation

  • Jingan Zhu & Ping Jiang & Yuanxiang Chen, 2025. "An Analysis of the Synergistic Effects of Air Pollutant Reduction and Carbon Mitigation in Major Emission Reduction Policies in China’s Transportation Sector," Energies, MDPI, vol. 18(8), pages 1-19, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jeners:v:18:y:2025:i:8:p:1980-:d:1633326
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/8/1980/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/8/1980/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Bing Wang & Yifan Wang & Yuqing Zhao, 2021. "Collaborative Governance Mechanism of Climate Change and Air Pollution: Evidence from China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(12), pages 1-16, June.
    2. Li, Jiachen & Jiang, Meiru & Li, Ge, 2024. "Does the new energy vehicles subsidy policy decrease the carbon emissions of the urban transport industry? Evidence from Chinese cities in Yangtze River Delta," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 298(C).
    3. Zeng, Qing-Hua & He, Ling-Yun, 2023. "Study on the synergistic effect of air pollution prevention and carbon emission reduction in the context of "dual carbon": Evidence from China's transport sector," Energy Policy, Elsevier, vol. 173(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Xiao, Yi & Yang, Haonan & Xiang, Xin & Li, Zhen & Zhang, Lanyue, 2025. "Lifting or lessening? Examining the effect of low-carbon city trial on synergistic reduction of pollution and carbon emissions," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 314(C).
    2. Yu Zhao & Prasanna Divigalpitiya, 2024. "Understanding Emission Trends, Regional Distribution Differences, and Synergistic Emission Effects in the Transportation Sector in Terms of Social Factors and Energy Consumption," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(24), pages 1-18, December.
    3. Cui, Shaohua & Gao, Kun & Yu, Bin & Ma, Zhenliang & Najafi, Arsalan, 2023. "Joint optimal vehicle and recharging scheduling for mixed bus fleets under limited chargers," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 180(C).
    4. Cai, Jinyang & Zhu, Mengze & Wu, Jian & Chen, Xueli & Xu, Junjie & Shen, Zhi-Yang, 2025. "Evaluating the impact of new energy vehicle subsidies on urban carbon emissions: Evidence from 261 Chinese cities," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 240(C).
    5. Guoping Tu & Zhe Zan, 2025. "The Green Paradox of New Energy Vehicles: A System Dynamics Analysis," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(9), pages 1-30, April.
    6. Jun Guan & Yuwei Guan & Xu Liu & Shaopeng Zhang, 2025. "Impact Mechanisms and Empirical Analysis of Urban Network Position on the Synergy Between Pollution Reduction and Carbon Mitigation: A Case Study of China’s Three Major Urban Agglomerations," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(13), pages 1-24, June.
    7. Yuan Feng & Ying Li & Changfei Nie, 2024. "Digital technology innovation and synergy of pollution control and carbon reduction: empirical evidence from digital patents in Chinese cities," Economic Change and Restructuring, Springer, vol. 57(6), pages 1-29, December.
    8. Junjie Wang & Juntao Ma & Sihui Wang & Zhuozhi Shu & Xiaoqiong Feng & Xuemei Xu & Hanmei Yin & Yi Zhang & Tao Jiang, 2023. "Coordination Relationship of Carbon Emissions and Air Pollutants under Governance Measures in a Typical Industrial City in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(1), pages 1-18, December.
    9. Fang Han & Sejun Yoon & Nagarajan Raghavan & Hyunseok Park, 2022. "Investigating Company’s Technical Development Directions Based on Internal Knowledge Inheritance and Inventor Capabilities: The Case of Samsung Electronics," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(5), pages 1-19, March.
    10. Minglong Xu & Huimin Li & Xianghui Deng, 2024. "Measuring the Synergistic Effect of Pollution and Carbon Reduction in China’s Industrial Sector," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(3), pages 1-14, January.
    11. Congxin Li & Xuejia Sun, 2023. "Spatial Effects of Green Credit on Air Quality: An Empirical Test Based on the Dual Carbon Perspective," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(13), pages 1-17, June.
    12. Zhang, Yu & Yi, Yuyin, 2024. "Sustainable production strategies of loss-averse competitive manufacturers with reference dependence under cap-and-trade policy," Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review, Elsevier, vol. 192(C).
    13. Zhen Chen & Ming-Ting Chen & Shu-Wei Jia, 2025. "Simulation and Optimization of New Energy Vehicles Promotion Policy Strategies Considering Energy Saving, Carbon Reduction, and Consumers’ Willingness Based on System Dynamics," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(7), pages 1-23, March.
    14. Su, Xiaoying & Zha, Donglan & Zhang, Chaoqun & Zhao, Kuokuo, 2025. "Does household lifestyle impact the decarbonization effect of carbon generalized system of preferences? Evidence from household survey in China," Journal of Asian Economics, Elsevier, vol. 98(C).
    15. Lili Zhao & Jizi Li & Xiuli Bao, 2025. "Dynamic Emission Reduction Strategy of New Energy Vehicles Based on Technology Investment Under Carbon Trading Policy," Energies, MDPI, vol. 18(11), pages 1-35, May.
    16. Dongni Feng & Cheng Li & Shiguo Deng, 2025. "Study on the Decoupling Effect and Driving Factors of Tourism Transportation Carbon Emissions in the Yangtze River Delta Region," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(7), pages 1-23, March.
    17. Minhua Yang & Rui Yao & Linkun Ma & Ang Yang, 2024. "Towards a Low-Carbon Target: How the High-Speed Rail and Its Expansion Affects Industrial Concentration and Macroeconomic Conditions: Evidence from Chinese Urban Agglomerations," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(19), pages 1-18, September.
    18. Li, Menglin & Yin, Long & Yan, Mei & Wu, Jingda & He, Hongwe & Jia, Chunchun, 2024. "Hierarchical intelligent energy-saving control strategy for fuel cell hybrid electric buses based on traffic flow predictions," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 304(C).
    19. Qixiang Yuan & Lin Sun, 2025. "Promoting Green R&D to Allow Green Products to Outcompete Non-Green Products: Subsidize Consumers or Manufacturers?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(3), pages 1-19, January.
    20. Liu, Zhen & Diao, Ziyu & Lu, Yuan, 2024. "Can the opening of high-speed rail boost the reduction of air pollution and carbon emissions? Quasi-experimental evidence from China," Socio-Economic Planning Sciences, Elsevier, vol. 92(C).

    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:gam:jeners:v:18:y:2025:i:8:p:1980-:d:1633326. 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.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with 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: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    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.