Integration of Sustainability in Road Freight Transport Companies in the Republic of Moldova: Between Polycrisis, Compliance and Competitiveness

The last years of sustainable transition have been marked by the imprint of geopolitical, energy, climate and socio-economic crises. Road freight transport remains one of the sectors with a significant impact on the environment on the one hand, on the other hand it is impacted by the global polycrisis. In this context of economic survival, the probability that alignment with climate objectives will become less and less achievable is increasing. A gap appears between the need for sustainable transition and the real capacity of companies.

The article starts from the idea that sustainability in road freight transport can no longer be analysed separately from the broader context in which companies operate. Currently, the entrepreneurial environment is marked by an economic, energy, geopolitical and climate polycrisis, which increases uncertainty and makes many companies focus their attention, primarily, on survival, operational continuity and cost control. In these conditions, climate objectives risk being relegated to the background, even if the road freight transport sector remains one of the areas with a significant impact on the environment, through CO₂ emissions, high energy consumption, noise, congestion and infrastructure wear and tear.

The purpose of the research is to analyse the capacity of road freight transport companies in the Republic of Moldova to adapt to the requirements of sustainable transition.