The impact of smart transportation on carbon emissions: evidence from 30 Chinese provinces

In the context of China's proposed carbon neutrality and carbon peaking, China is under tremendous pressure to reduce carbon emissions. Smart transportation has become a breakthrough in conducting emission reduction efforts in the transportation sector, which is an important carbon emitting sector. To identify the effects of smart transportation on carbon emissions, this study first assessed the level of smart transportation in 30 Chinese provinces during 2001-2017 and then conducted an empirical analysis using a hybrid model combining expanded Stochastic Impacts by Regression on Population, Affluence, and Technology (STIRPAT)and Spatial Durbin Model (SDM). The results indicate that China's smart transportation development has been progressively increasing, with regional differences gradually narrowing. And smart transportation can reduce carbon emissions. In addition, the research results show that the Population economic and technological factors all have moderating effects on the impact of smart transportation on carbon emissions, which can enhance the negative effect of smart transportation on carbon emissions. Based on the research results, we propose policy recommendations for smart transportation construction and integrated management of transportation and related industries.