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Reducing CO₂ emissions from transportation is crucial for achieving carbon neutrality in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries by 2060 or earlier. This study aimed at analyzing transportation-related energy consumption and CO₂ emissions, along with their determinants and mitigation measures planned to achieve carbon neutrality in GCC countries.

To achieve the study objectives, the pressure-state-response (PSR) framework was utilized. Various methods were employed within the PSR framework, including econometric analysis using EViews, energy modeling using the low emissions analysis platform (LEAP) and content analysis of relevant policy and national documents using NVivo.

The results indicated that population and economic growth, along with increased fuel consumption, have led to a growth in transportation-related energy use and CO₂ emissions in the GCC countries. Per capita transportation-related CO₂ emissions in the GCC countries are higher than those of several countries. To achieve carbon-neutral transportation, approximately 1.8 bn metric tons of CO₂ emissions need to be avoided by 2060 or earlier. Strategies related to fuel alternatives, vehicle technologies and mass transit have been planned to reduce transportation-related CO₂ emissions in the GCC countries.

This study employed a holistic approach to analyze transportation-related energy use and CO₂ emissions in the GCC countries. It provides several policy implications and highlights the urgent need for policy innovations to achieve transformative change in the transportation sectors of the GCC countries.

This study aims to quantify sectoral energy and carbon intensity, revisit the validity of the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) and explore the relationship between economic diversification and CO₂ emissions in Bahrain.

Three stages were followed to understand the linkages between sectoral economic growth, energy consumption and CO₂ emissions in Bahrain. Sectoral energy and carbon intensity were calculated, time series data trends were analyzed and two econometric models were built and analyzed using the autoregressive distributed lag method and time series data for the period 1980–2019.

The results of the analysis suggest that energy and carbon intensity in Bahrain’s industrial sector is higher than those of its services and agricultural sectors. The EKC was found to be invalid for Bahrain, where economic growth is still coupled with CO₂ emissions. Whereas CO₂ emissions have increased with growth in the manufacturing, and real estate subsectors, the emissions have decreased with growth in the hospitability, transportation and communications subsectors. These results indicate that economic diversification, specifically of the services sector, is aligned with Bahrain’s carbon neutrality target. However, less energy-intensive industries, such as recycling-based industries, are needed to counter the environmental impacts of economic growth.

The impacts of economic diversification on energy consumption and CO₂ emissions in the Gulf Cooperation Council petroleum countries have rarely been explored. Findings from this study contribute to informing economic and environment-related policymaking in Bahrain.