Accelerating the transition to alternative fuel vehicles through a Distributive Justice perspective

Abstract

In this paper, we investigate the ongoing endeavor to transition from conventional transportation to more sustainable systems. In addition to the traditional environmental objective, we propose a novel measure to quantify the social performance by using the concepts of Distributive Justice (DJ) and Sustainable Transition (ST) to investigate the adoption of alternative fuel vehicles (AFV). In our context, DJ is defined as fair access to transportation, the latter being a vital means for people to realize their full capabilities in the society. Furthermore, ST measures the social dimension through DJ and the environmental dimension through AFV sales. To model the complex network of relationships characterizing this framework, we use System Dynamics methodology to study the long term impact of considering DJ and ST. Our findings show that policy makers should adjust their targets to consider DJ criteria along with environmental objectives, thus aiming at a sustainable transition. By doing so, they can control and hasten the transition to AFV. Finally, we evaluate the contribution of each policy instrument to guide the policy-making process and catalyze this transition.