From Emissions Targets to Market Behavior
Abstract
The decarbonization of road and freight transport depends not only on emissions reduction targets, but on how these targets are translated into economic and regulatory signals that shape market behavior. This chapter examines policy-driven decarbonization pathways by analyzing the transmission of emissions targets into pricing instruments, standards, incentives, and procurement mechanisms, and the resulting behavioral responses of transport and logistics actors. Using comparative case studies from advanced and emerging economies, the chapter demonstrates that strong, credible, and recurring policy signals induce more immediate operational and investment responses, while fragmented or constrained policy environments yield uneven outcomes. The analysis highlights the roles of institutional capacity, policy credibility, and actor heterogeneity in determining effectiveness. The chapter contributes a market-behavioral framework to support coherent, efficient, and resilient transport decarbonization policy design.