Road transportation is one of the main sources of
greenhouse gas emissions, which lead to global warming and
climate change. Promoting the decarbonization of this sector
through more efficient and greener mobility is a challenging task
that can be achieved by intelligent transportation systems (ITS)
enabled by vehicular communications. In this paper, we briefly
present how mobility players and enablers (driver, vehicle, and
road network) influence energy consumption and pollutant emissions.
Furthermore, this survey paper details how different ITS,
ranging from eco-routing to intelligent intersection management,
can lead to sustainable mobility by promoting a more efficient
vehicle usage and enhanced efficiency on road network utilization.
Results shown that ITS has the potential to considerably reduce
fuel consumption and pollutant emissions, namely, by smoothing
the traffic flow, reducing the number of start–stops, and reducing
the total travel distance. In addition, we present and analyze two
main methods for evaluating green transportation systems: 1) field
operational tests; and 2) simulation-based evaluations. We give
special emphasis to simulation-based assessment of Green ITS
measures by detailing the necessary models and their interactions.
Finally, we propose a number of recommendations and future
research directions in the area of Green ITS.