Spatial-temporal evolution analysis of the impact of smart transportation policies on urban carbon emissions

Abstract

The impact of smart transportation policies on carbon emission control has become a new issue in urban development. Existing literature has primarily focused on smart transportation technology and new energy vehicles, while ignoring the impact of smart transportation policies. By using a quasi-natural experiment from China, this paper analyzes the impact of smart transportation policies on urban carbon emissions. The impact mechanism is analyzed from the perspectives of vehicle intelligence, road intelligence, and cloud; the empirical analysis of spatial difference is based on the panel data of 285 cities in China. The results show that: (1) smart transportation policies and vehicle-road-cloud collaboration have a positive inhibitory effect on urban carbon emissions. (2) The inhibitory effect of smart transportation policies on urban carbon emissions is influenced by the level of urban economic development but not by transportation infrastructure. (3) The spatial spillover effect of smart transportation policies on urban carbon emissions is influenced by transportation technology. Cities with higher transportation technology capabilities show inhibitory effects, while cities with low transportation technology capabilities show promoting effects. This study provides a reference for the sustainable development of urban smart transportation systems and environmental management.