Macro Carbon Accounting and Development Recommendations for the Logistics Sector in the Middle Reaches of the Yangtze River in China

As a key driver of the global economy, the logistics industry is essential for fostering economic ties between nations and supports the global goals of achieving “carbon neutrality” and sustainable development. This research focuses on quantifying the carbon emissions generated by the logistics industry in the three provinces situated in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River over the period from 2001 to 2021. The results uncover a notable “carbon lock-in effect” related to the carbon emissions from energy consumption within the logistics sector in this region. Additionally, the study examines the temporal evolution of carbon emissions from the logistics industry in this area, identifying a fluctuating yet generally upward trend. Furthermore, the study explores the development of low-carbon logistics in the region by establishing a “regional-environmental-economic” evaluation framework. By employing the fuzzy object-element synthesis evaluation method, a thorough assessment of the low-carbon logistics performance in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River is conducted over the past two decades. The assessment delineates three distinct phases in the development of low-carbon logistics in the region: an initial phase marked by fluctuations (2001-2005), a period of stable growth and peak performance (2006-2019), and a recovery phase following external shocks (2020-2021). Based on these insights, this paper proposes targeted strategies and recommendations from a “government-corporate-public” collaborative perspective, in alignment with the overarching carbon policy, to achieve the “low-carbon logistics-energy transition-regional development” synergy.