Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index Decomposition of CO 2 Emissions from Urban Passenger Transport: An Empirical Study of Global Cities from 1960–2001

Meiting Tu, Ye Li, Lei Bao, Yuao Wei, Olivier Orfila, Wenxiang Li and Dominique Gruyer
Additional contact information
Meiting Tu: College of Transportation Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 201804, China
Ye Li: College of Transportation Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 201804, China
Lei Bao: Seazen Holdings Co., Ltd., No.6 Lane 388, Zhongjiang Road, Putuo District, Shanghai 200062, China
Yuao Wei: China Merchants Bank, 686, Lai’an road, Shanghai 201201, China
Olivier Orfila: Laboratory LIVIC, IFSTTAR, 25 allée des Marronniers, 78000 Versailles, France
Wenxiang Li: College of Transportation Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 201804, China
Dominique Gruyer: Laboratory LIVIC, IFSTTAR, 25 allée des Marronniers, 78000 Versailles, France

Sustainability, 2019, vol. 11, issue 16, 1-16

Abstract: The urban transport sector has become one of the major contributors to global CO 2 emissions. This paper investigates the driving forces of changes in CO 2 emissions from the passenger transport sectors in different cities, which is helpful for formulating effective carbon-reduction policies and strategies. The logarithmic mean Divisia index (LMDI) method is used to decompose the CO 2 emissions changes into five driving determinants: Urbanization level, motorization level, mode structure, energy intensity, and energy mix. First, the urban transport CO 2 emissions between 1960 and 2001 from 46 global cities are calculated. Then, the multiplicative decomposition results for megacities (London, New York, Paris, and Tokyo) are compared with those of other cities. Moreover, additive decomposition analyses of the 4 megacities are conducted to explore the driving forces of changes in CO 2 emissions from the passenger transport sectors in these megacities between 1960 and 2001. Based on the decomposition results, some effective carbon-reduction strategies can be formulated for developing cities experiencing rapid urbanization and motorization. The main suggestions are as follows: (i) Rational land use, such as transit-oriented development, is a feasible way to control the trip distance per capita; (ii) fuel economy policies and standards formulated when there are oil crisis are effective ways to suppress the increase of CO 2 emissions, and these changes should not be abandoned when oil prices fall; and (iii) cities with high population densities should focus on the development of public and non-motorized transport.

Keywords: CO 2 emissions; urban transport; LMDI; megacity (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (7)

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