Diffusion of Low-carbon Transportation Policies under Multiple Institutional Pressures

• In Event:  International Insights: Reducing Carbon Emissions

Abstract

Low-carbon development in cities of the Global South has drawn significant attention from policymakers, researchers, and urban planners. As major contributors to carbon emissions, transportation systems play a pivotal role in achieving sustainable and low-carbon urban futures. In China, low-carbon transportation policies have become central to its sustainability strategy. Notably, the adoption and diffusion of low-carbon transportation policies in different regions exhibit both convergence and diversity. Despite this, existing research has not sufficiently addressed the heterogeneity in diffusion patterns and mechanisms across different policy types. This raises two questions: What mechanisms are driving the diffusion of low-carbon transportation policies across cities? How do these mechanisms differ across various policy types?
To address these questions, this study utilizes a policy matrix to classify green transportation policies into nine types by integrating low-carbon transportation strategies (i.e., Avoid/Shift/Improve) with policy functions (i.e., Planning/Regulation/Incentives). This framework is applied to systematically analyze the heterogeneity of policy diffusion patterns and mechanisms. Drawing on institutional theory, this research examines the diffusion patterns and mechanisms of these policy categories across Chinese cities. Preliminary results reveal that the diffusion of low-carbon transportation policies is shaped by coercive, imitation, and normative mechanisms, with distinct diffusion dynamics across the nine policy types. By focusing on policy attributes, this study contributes to a deeper understanding of China’s low-carbon transportation strategies and provides insights into the effective design and implementation of low-carbon transportation policies to promote sustainability.

Author

• Lu Chen, Sun Yat-sen University
  Presenting Author