The success of industrial transport depends on the competitiveness of road transport operations. Overall satisfaction in transport operations is crucial while reducing carbon emissions \(\hbox {CO}_{\text {2}}\) and drawing closer to the net zero Sustainable Development Goal (SDG). This has prompted researchers to explore potential micromanagement techniques to reduce carbon emissions while maintaining operational satisfaction. This study adopts a novel slack-based measurement (SBM) technique under data envelopment analysis (DEA) to conduct efficiency analysis of 25 countries across four economic corridors. Trade-offs are performed with a focus on reducing \(\hbox {CO}_{\text {2}}\) while maintaining operational efficiency. Our results suggest that marginal trade-offs between operational efficiency and emissions can lead to significant improvements in both environmental and operational performance. This study helps policymakers identify feasible strategies to achieve a emission-efficient road transport system.
