How Does the Change of Carbon Dioxide Emissions Affect Transportation Productivity? A Case Study of the US Transportation Sector from 2002 to 2011

Jaesung Choi^1*, David C. Roberts²

¹Transportation and Logistics Program, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND, USA.
²Department of Agribusiness & Applied Economics, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND, USA.

DOI: 10.4236/jss.2015.32013                

Abstract

A variety of research fields has analyzed actual productivity change from environmental pollution through the Malmquist environmental productivity index, but to our best knowledge, no research has thus far been conducted in the transportation sector to evaluate the effects of a CO₂ emissions change on actual productivity. For this reason, this study reviews how actual productivity in the US transportation sector has been affected by the CO₂ emissions change for 2002-2012 and then reveals the driving forces behind it. We find that the CO₂ emissions increase from 2002 to 2007 has a negative effect on actual productivity in the US transportation sector, but the CO₂ emissions reduction for 2008-2011 increases actual productivity. A state mainly showing a sustainable growing pattern (decrease in CO₂ emissions and increase in actual productivity) experiences a higher technological innovation increase than an efficiency decrease. This finding suggests that using fuel-efficient and carbon reduction technologies as well as alternative transportation energy sources may be essential factors to both grow transportation and prevent global warming.

Keywords

Actual Productivity, CO2, Malmquist Environmental Productivity Index, Sustainable Growth, Transportation Sector

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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