GHG inventory continued (part3)

C)

TRANSPORT:

The transport sector in UK contributes 21 percent of GHG emissions (in 2010, refer to graph in previous slide).  The graph shows an evident decline in emission after 2007 (due to improved fuel efficiency).

Owing to the increasing number of vehicles leading to increased traffic congestions, road transport is the dominant emitting subsector followed by equal contribution from other subsectors (refer to graph), with carbon dioxide amounting to 99 percent of the GHG’s emitted (Dept of Transport).

The transport sector has many subsectors like road transport, railway, aviation and shipping, each of which requires different considerations (mobile or stationary phase) and calculations when determining the emissions (depending on the fuel used, and GHG emitted). Apart from including emissions from inland waterways, improved methods like automatic number plate recognition data and regional licensing data (to define the fuel and age mix of vehicles on different types of roads) have been incorporated to differentiate the amount of fuel consumed by different vehicles.

Calculation of emissions from road transport (estimated using activity data, fuel property and emissions factor or numerical data like vehicle type, age, fuel type, speed, distance travelled etc) and aviation (estimates based on numerical data like type of aircraft) comply with the IPCC tier3 specifications (these are guidelines which consists of mathematical methods, data on emission factors or other parameters, used in generating estimates, and activity data to estimate net emissions). Emissions from railway include stationary and mobile phases, where emission factor and activity data (fuel used or distance travelled by train) is used to estimate emissions. When considering emissions from the shipping sector, coastal/domestic (include inland waterways and international marine) shipping, and military aircraft and naval shipping, must be considered, these are estimated using activity data (fuel consumption), statistical data (population, engine size and hours of use of different types of craft) and in some cases an emissions factor is also used.

Road transport emissions are expected to decrease thereby causing a 12 percent (between 2010- 2025) reduction in the emissions from transport (impacts of emissions trading have been excluded). These projections are from the DECC’s Updated Energy and Emissions Projections (2011, 2012).

References:

K

UK GHG Inventory: http://ghgi.decc.gov.uk/

·         UK GHG National Statistics: http://www.statistics.gov.uk/hub/agriculture-environment/environment/climate-change/index.html

·UK,UpdatedEnergyProjections: http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/about/ec_social_res/analytic_projs/en_emis_projs/en_emis_projs.aspx

·         Department for Transport: http://www.dft.gov.uk/

·         UK Civil Aviation Authority: http://www.caa.co.uk/ 

·         IPCC guidelines: http://www.ipcc-nggip.iges.or.jp/public/2006gl/pdf/0_Overview/V0_1_Overview.pdf