The ATO green roads profiles present country-level perspectives on how 35 Asia-Pacific economies are addressing the development and management of sustainable eco-friendly roads. Drawing from diverse datasets and policy documents, the profiles highlight practices and measures that contribute to greener transport infrastructure.

Developed by the Asian Transport Observatory (ATO) in partnership with the International Road Federation (IRF), the profiles are designed to complement the Green Roads Toolkit. The toolkit provides a practical reference for integrating good practices across nine dimensions:

• Decarbonization
• Climate resilience
• Water and land management
• Pollution reduction
• Conserving biodiversity
• Responsible sourcing of materials
• Improving quality of life
• Disaster preparedness
• Fostering inclusive growth

This 2025 edition builds on earlier work to provide a comprehensive resource for guiding the planning, development, construction, and management of greener, more sustainable roads.

The internal combustion engine drives the pulse of Brunei Darussalam. With a population of 463,000 spread across about 5,000 square kilometers, the country has built a mostly private mobility system. The motorization reached 648 vehicles per thousand residents in 2024, compared to the Asia-Pacific average of 317. This anomaly is structural. The 5,100-kilometer road network favors light-duty vehicles (LDVs), which make up 91% of the fleet. Two-wheelers, common in Southeast Asia, are only 1% here.

This focus on personal mobility has a carbon cost. Road transport emitted 1.3 million tonnes of CO2e in 2024, representing 99% of total transport emissions. The growth is steady—emissions increased by 1.8% annually since 2000, outpacing the economy-wide growth of 1.4%. However, the data shows a divergence: while emissions rise in absolute terms, efficiency improves. Since 2015, emissions per unit of GDP have declined at an average rate of 5.8% annually, better than the regional improvement of 5.4%. Brunei's emissions intensity is 30 grams of CO2e per USD, nearing the regional average of 26. Engines are cleaner, but their numbers continue to grow.

Economic signals are distorted: between 2016 and 2023, transport-related fossil fuel subsidies totaled 1.2 billion USD, lowering fuel prices but transferring costs to society. Externalities are significant, with congestion causing 80% of these costs, followed by crashes and infrastructure damage. Market shifts are slow. Electric vehicle (EV) imports, negligible ten years ago, reached a total value of 9 million USD from 2015 to 2024. By 2024, EVs made up 3% of all road vehicles import in value; the composition mirrors the existing fleet—97% are LDVs. While the transition is underway, it is still confined largely to private cars. UNEP's E-mobility Readiness Index scores Brunei at 59 out of 100, indicating a developing but not yet strong policy framework.

Climate resilience poses an immediate physical threat. Under a 4.5-degree warming scenario, models indicate that more than 100% of the country's road and rail assets are exposed to frequent, extreme precipitation. The financial implications are already visible. Average annual losses to transport infrastructure hover around 4.2 million USD. Roads bear 94% of this burden. Bridges and tunnels, while constituting only 2.0% of the infrastructure stock, absorb a disproportionate 31.1% of the financial damage. The vulnerability is acute.

Social inclusivity metrics reveal a divided landscape. Road safety in Brunei Darussalam remains a significant public health challenge. In 2021, an estimated 9.2 fatalities occurred per 100,000 population due to road crashes, accounting for 10th highest cause of all deaths in the country. Public transport coverage is minimal. In urban agglomerations, only two out of ten residents have convenient access to public transport. For the 18% of the population living more than 30 minutes from a city, connectivity is a lifeline. Yet, 1,000 rural residents remain beyond the reach of all-season roads. Isolation persists. This lack of access leaves pockets of the population vulnerable to shocks, unable to reach healthcare or markets when the rains wash out the tracks.

Material consumption reinforces the heavy footprint. The infrastructure stock stands at 31.9 million tonnes. Maintaining and expanding this requires an additional 836,000 tonnes of material annually, embodying 34,000 tonnes of CO2e. Biodiversity also pays a toll, though less than in neighboring states. Three Key Biodiversity Areas contain road infrastructure, equating to 14 meters of road per thousand square kilometers of protected land. This is low compared to the Southeast Asian average of 83, but the intrusion exists.

The workforce powering this sector is shifting. Employment in transport reached 12,000 by 2023. Women hold 29.4% of these roles, a figure that lags behind broader economic participation but shows potential for growth. Households spend 14.9% of their expenditure on transport, a significant portion of the domestic budget, driven by the costs of vehicle ownership.

Brunei Darussalam presents a paradox of high-quality infrastructure and high-carbon dependency. The nation has successfully decoupled some emissions intensity from economic growth, achieving efficiency gains superior to regional peers. However, the absolute dominance of private light-duty vehicles, sustained by significant fossil fuel subsidies, creates a rigid mobility structure that resists deep decarbonization.

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