| dc.description.abstractEN | This thesis examines the geopolitics of sustainable transport, focusing on the ways in which
geopolitical disruptions interact with efforts to decarbonize global mobility systems. Transport is
both a critical enabler of globalization and a major contributor to climate change, responsible for
nearly one quarter of global energy-related emissions. At the same time, it is deeply embedded in
international politics, where chokepoints, strategic corridors, and resource dependencies shape the
flows of goods and energy. The study argues that sustainable transport cannot be understood in
isolation from geopolitics, since the transition to low-carbon systems generates new vulnerabilities
and dependencies while geopolitical events directly influence environmental performance and long
term transitions.
The research combines a literature review with qualitative case study analysis to address three
guiding questions: how geopolitical events disrupt transport flows and infrastructures, what the
short- and long-term sustainability impacts of such disruptions are, and how states and systems
adapt in response. Three cases were selected for their global significance and diverse mechanisms
of disruption: the 2021 Suez Canal blockage and the Russia–Ukraine war. These cases reveal that
disruptions not only cause immediate logistical and environmental costs, but also catalyse systemic
adaptations, including diversification of routes, investment in renewable infrastructure, and strategic
reshaping of global supply chains.
The findings demonstrate that the geopolitics of sustainable transport involves both risks and
opportunities. Disruptions expose fragilities and increase emissions in the short term, but they also
accelerate long-term transitions toward resilience and decarbonization. The study concludes that
effective governance of transport requires an integrated approach that recognizes its dual role as
both a technical infrastructure and a strategic geopolitical instrument. | el |
