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

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...