Transportation infrastructure has long been trapped in a high-carbon “carbon lock-in” state, forming a major bottleneck for low-carbon transformation. Driven by the “dual carbon” goals, scientific measurement and judgment of carbon unlocking levels are critical for targeted policy-making. However, existing studies mostly focus on macro sectors, and dedicated quantitative assessment for transportation infrastructure remains limited.
This study establishes an evaluation system with 15 indicators across three dimensions: economy, technology, and institution. Using the entropy weight method for objective weighting, we conduct a systematic assessment at national, regional, and provincial levels. Results show that the carbon unlocking level continuously rises in eastern, central, and western regions, but the inter-regional gap widens over time, presenting a clear pattern: Eastern > Central > Western. Provincial disparities are remarkable: 6 provinces are classified as high-level, 15 as medium-level, and 9 as low-level. Green patents, R&D investment, and low-carbon regulation are identified as key driving factors.
The research suggests that regions should enhance carbon unlocking through coordinated efforts in economic upgrading, technological innovation, and institutional improvement, strengthen regional collaboration, and accelerate the low-carbon transition of transportation infrastructure to support national “dual carbon” goals. The work entitled “Study on the Judgment of Carbon Unlocking Level of Transportation Infrastructure” was published in Journal of Engineering Studies (available online on Mar. 25, 2026).
DOI: 10.3724/j.issn.1674-4969.20250088