Study on the Technical and Policy Pathway for Low-Carbon Development of the Water Transportation in Sichuan Province

Abstract

Transport, one of the key sectors for the implementation of China’s carbon peak and carbon neutrality goals, boasts a water transportation crucial to China’s integrated transport infrastructure, which will face a rising demand with the continuous optimization of the transport system. Located upstream of the golden waterway of the Yangtze River, Sichuan province is one of the key regions for inland waterway transportation. In the context of the ‘dual carbon’ goals, the study proposes a conceptual framework for the low-carbon development pathway of water transport by analyzing the technical roadmap and policy recommendations for the Sichuan Province, which found that Sichuan can rely upon energy efficiency and energy substitution on the technical front, while upon the synergy of “government guidance + enterprise responsibility + market support + partnership”. While focusing on slowing the growth of CO2 emissions and improving energy efficiency with LNG as the main transition fuel in the near term, Sichuan should curb the total emissions and strategize around carbon-free solutions including electricity and hydrogen.