Cognitive Sustainability

Decoupling transport-related CO2 emissions from economic growth: Empirical analysis (2000–2023)

2026-07-02T10:28:26+00:00

This study investigates the dynamic relationship between economic expansion measured by Gross Domestic Product at Purchasing Power Parity (GDP at PPP) and transport-related carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions in Hungary over the period 2000–2023. Using the Julia 1.10 programming language for high-performance statistical processing, the research employs a three-tier methodology comprising Augmented Dickey-Fuller (ADF) unit root testing, the Tapio elasticity framework, and Pearson correlation analysis of growth rates. The empirical results reveal that although absolute levels of GDP and emissions are non-stationary, their yearly growth rates are statistically independent (r = 0.17, p > 0.05), suggesting a significant break in the traditional carbon-growth nexus. The Tapio analysis identifies a prolonged “Strong Decoupling” phase from 2008 to 2013, followed by a return to efficiency-driven decoupling in 2023. These findings suggest that structural improvements and technological advancements have increasingly superseded economic volume as the primary drivers of transport emissions.

Modal shift or intermodality? The necessity, opportunities, and limitations of modal shift in Hungary in light of the European Union’s transportation and climate policy goals

2026-07-02T10:28:26+00:00

This study aims to evaluate the role of modal shift and intermodality in achieving the European Union’s transport and climate policy objectives, with a particular focus on the competitiveness and development of rail freight transport in Hungary. The research addresses the gap between policy ambitions for sustainable transport and the persistent dominance of road freight. The methodology is based on a structured literature review and secondary data analysis, drawing on European Union policy documents, Eurostat transport statistics, and national datasets. Comparative trend analysis is applied to assess changes in modal split at both the EU and Hungarian levels, while a qualitative assessment is used to identify the key structural, economic, and technological factors influencing the competitiveness of rail and intermodal transport. The results show that despite strong policy support, the share of rail freight transport has stagnated or slightly declined across the European Union, while road transport continues to dominate. In Hungary, similar patterns are observed, with rail maintaining a stable but limited market share. The findings identify infrastructure limitations, interoperability barriers, capacity constraints, and cost disadvantages as the primary factors hindering rail competitiveness. At the same time, intermodal transport has demonstrated significant growth, indicating its potential as a more feasible pathway toward sustainable freight systems than a pure modal shift. The study concludes that achieving climate objectives in the transport sector requires integrated policy measures, targeted infrastructure investments, and the accelerated development of intermodal solutions supported by digitalisation. Strengthening rail freight and intermodality is essential for reducing emissions and enhancing Hungary’s role in European logistics networks.

Reframing the sustainability transformation of mobility systems through cognitive sustainability: An integrated perspective on cost structures, decision-making, and emission dynamics

2026-07-02T10:28:26+00:00

This work reinterprets the sustainability transformation of mobility systems from a cognitive sustainability perspective, integrating economic mechanisms, decision-making processes, and emission dynamics into a unified analytical framework. While traditional approaches emphasise cost structures and policy incentives, this work argues that the transformation cannot be fully understood without considering the cognitive dimension of decision-making. Total cost of ownership (TCO) is positioned as a central mediating construct that not only reflects economic rationality but also serves as a cognitively informed decision interface shaped by perception, trust, and information asymmetry. The analysis highlights that the relationship between costs and emissions is dynamic and non-linear over time, particularly in the case of electrification, where short-term emission increases can precede long-term sustainability benefits. By integrating economic, environmental, and cognitive layers, the study proposes a feedback-driven systems model in which policy instruments, cost structures, user choices, and emission trajectories evolve together. The results show that an effective sustainability transformation depends not only on optimising cost structures but also on shaping the cognitive frameworks through which these costs are perceived and internalised.

Sustainability assessment of bulletproof materials used for vehicle armouring

2026-07-02T10:28:26+00:00

The increasing demand for lightweight, highly protective armoured vehicles has shifted material selection from ballistic performance alone to comprehensive sustainability considerations. While traditional homogeneous armour steels provide excellent durability, mature manufacturing technologies, and high recyclability, their high density significantly increases vehicle mass, leading to greater fuel consumption and greenhouse-gas emissions throughout the operational life cycle. Conversely, advanced composite armour systems offer superior protection-to-weight ratios but are associated with energy-intensive manufacturing processes and limited end-of-life recycling options. This study presents a comparative life-cycle sustainability assessment of steel- and composite-based vehicle armouring materials using a cradle-to-grave engineering framework. In addition to evaluating ballistic performance and material characteristics, the proposed methodology integrates manufacturing energy demand, operational fuel consumption, greenhouse-gas emissions, recyclability, and economic considerations. A simplified quantitative model is introduced to describe the relationship between armour mass, vehicle fuel consumption, and operational CO₂ emissions, while a sensitivity analysis is performed for representative armoured vehicle configurations. Furthermore, a multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) framework is proposed to support engineering decision-making by simultaneously considering ballistic efficiency, environmental impact, operational performance, recyclability, and cost. The results demonstrate that although homogeneous steel remains advantageous in terms of manufacturing maturity and circularity, lightweight composite materials substantially reduce operational environmental impacts owing to lower vehicle mass. The analysis further indicates that hybrid modular armour systems provide the most balanced engineering solution by combining the recyclability of steel with the weight-saving benefits of advanced composites. The proposed assessment framework extends conventional material comparisons by integrating engineering, environmental, and economic perspectives into a unified sustainability evaluation methodology, thereby providing practical guidance for the future development of armoured vehicle protection systems.

Additive Manufacturing as a Driver of Sustainable Economic Growth: A Longitudinal Analysis of Market Dynamics and GDP Transmission Channels (1990–2026)

2026-07-02T10:28:26+00:00

3D printing, or Additive Manufacturing (AM), has evolved from a specialised tool for creating prototypes into a large international marketplace valued at $24.2 billion in 2025. In this study, we investigated how the size of the additive manufacturing marketplace is connected to global economic activity, as measured by Gross Domestic Product (GDP). We documented a nearly 807-fold increase in the additive manufacturing marketplace, compared with a 5.2-fold increase in World GDP over the same period. We document four distinct periods of growth in the additive manufacturing marketplace and demonstrate that investments in AM have been uncorrelated with most major economic recessions, including those caused by the 2008–2009 financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic. The three principal mechanisms through which additive manufacturing has contributed to economic growth are increased total factor productivity, the creation of new markets and business models based on distributed manufacturing, and improved supply chain resilience. A dramatic decline in the cost of additive manufacturing equipment – that occurred approximately 1,250 times faster than traditional two-dimensional printing –was identified as the primary structural cause of the rapid expansion of the additive manufacturing market. These results were framed through the lens of cognitive sustainability, which views digital manufacturing technologies as enabling humans to produce more efficiently by utilising fewer resources. The findings indicate that additive manufacturing provides a cognitively sustainable pathway to technological innovation with broad implications for long-term economic development, industrial policies and green transition strategies.

The relationship between gentrification and public transport investments: a study on French cities

2026-07-02T10:28:26+00:00

Socio-spatial dynamics, such as gentrification, often result from urban planning and development processes that include public transport investments. The construction of a new tramline (or light-rail transit, LRT) is one of the most impactful transport infrastructure projects that can be implemented within a territory. This work focuses on the fourth tramline in Bordeaux (France), which crosses 3 suburban municipalities with different accessibility and socio-economic profiles. It aims to evaluate the impact of this project on multiple indicators: population density, the socio-professional composition of the population, average household income, and the number of poor households, to detect a possible gentrification process. Municipal data, as well as grid-based data from the French national statistics institute, were used to obtain a global view of cities’ dynamics, and a more precise view at a 200 × 200 m cell scale. Using a GIS tool and R for visualisation, the evolution of those indicators over the course of the implementation was studied. The results show an acceleration in density growth, most evident in the peripheral cities farthest from the city centre, as well as a subtle, nuanced increase in the proportions of higher-income socio-professional groups. Gridded data on the population’s income along the tram’s route yield mixed conclusions: the study does not allow for the identification of a clear ongoing gentrification process. The research could be completed by evaluating other urban development indicators, such as housing market trends, and by collecting more data on the years following the launch to establish the project’s long-term impact.