The Impact of Public–Private Partnership Investments in Transport on CO2 Emissions in East Asian and Pacific Regions: A VAR Model

This paper investigates investments in public–private partnerships within the transport sector and their impact on CO2 emissions from transportation in the East Asian and Pacific regions. It explores the relationships between CO2 emissions from transportation, investment in public–private partnerships, renewable energy, research and development, and economic growth. The study employs a unit root test, a cointegration model, and a vector autoregressive model, covering the period from 1990 to 2023. The findings suggest that public–private partnerships in the transport sector can reduce CO2 emissions through adequate investment. Furthermore, renewable energy diminishes CO2 emissions by regulating them and concurrently producing fewer emissions. Environmental research and development help reduce CO2 emissions in the transport sector, while economic growth contributes to an increase in transport sector CO2 emissions. These findings provide critical insights for policymakers, underscoring the necessity for a systematic reallocation of public–private partnership investments in the transport sector to reduce CO2 emissions and enhance environmental sustainability in East Asian and Pacific regions.