The financial market has a strong influence on supporting the transition to a zero-emission transport system, as this sector requires large investments to implement low-emission technologies and infrastructure and to promote intermodality. This article presents the results obtained from a literature review on the financing mechanisms that have been used in different countries to finance alternatives to decarbonization in rail and inland waterway modes. For this purpose, databases such as Google Scholar, Scopus, MDPI, websites of governments and other related organizations were reviewed. Over 240 sources of information from articles and documents focusing on green finance in rail and inland waterway modes were reviewed. Our study identified many gaps in the literature on green transport financing. We also identified that in the databases consulted, it was possible to obtain more academic sources related to rail transport than inland waterway transport. Finally, an analysis is made of how implementation projects in the rail and inland waterway modes have been financed in Colombia.

Public policies and economic incentives are widely used as a strategy to stimulate the use of green technologies and low-emission practices in the waterborne transport sector. Since the Paris Agreement, countries have been encouraged to implement more strategies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to build resilience against climate change impacts in developing countries. This article presents a literature review on policies, regulations, and programs that represent economic incentives to promote alternatives to decarbonize maritime and inland waterway transport in sixteen countries, including Colombia. More than one hundred thirty sources of information were reviewed, including official portals of governments, port authorities and organizations, and scientific articles; therefore, the incentives found were grouped into three categories: project financing, differentiated port tariffs, and incentives to cover onshore power service fees. As a result of this review, it was found that differentiated port tariffs were the most common type of incentive. Finally, the specific case of Colombia was analyzed, which provides a deeper perspective of current policies and measures aimed at encouraging the decarbonization of waterborne transport and compares them with the international panorama.