Co-control of Urban Air Pollutants and Greenhouse Gases in Mexico City

Abstract

This study addresses the synergies of mitigation measures to control urban air pollutant and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, in developing integrated "co-control" strategies for Mexico City. First, existing studies of emissions reduction measuressPROAIRE (the air quality plan for Mexico City) and separate GHG studiessare used to construct a harmonized database of options. Second, linear programming (LP) is developed and applied as a decisionsupport tool to analyze least-cost strategies for meeting cocontrol targets for multiple pollutants. We estimate that implementing PROAIRE measures as planned will reduce 3.1% of the 2010 metropolitan CO 2 emissions, in addition to substantial local air pollutant reductions. Applying the LP, PROAIRE emissions reductions can be met at a 20% lower cost, using only the PROAIRE measures, by adjusting investments toward the more cost-effective measures; lower net costs are possible by including cost-saving GHG mitigation measures, but with increased investment. When CO 2 emission reduction targets are added to PROAIRE targets, the most cost-effective solutions use PROAIRE measures for the majority of local pollutant reductions, and GHG measures for additional CO 2 control. Because of synergies, the integrated planning of urban-global cocontrol can be beneficial, but we estimate that for Mexico City these benefits are often small.

Quantification of Local and Global Benefits from Air Pollution Control in Mexico City

“…Table 6. b This study (see Section S.7, Supporting Information), reported as in PROAIRE and West et al (9).…”

“…These analyses do not provide a basis from which cost-to-benefit comparisons can proceed, and only incomplete metrics for prioritization of measures can be derived. Comparisons of, for example, the total tons of local pollutants reduced in 2010 to the total undiscounted investment cost of a measure (9) implicitly assume that all air pollutants are equally toxic. Yet it is clear from the public health literature that not all air pollutants are equally damaging to human health.…”

“…For Mexico City, West et al (9) compiled a large number of PROAIRE and GHG mitigation options and optimized for the least cost set of options for joint control. Although West et al illustrate an interesting technique for joint local-global control analysis, the relevancy of the work to Mexico City decision making is limited because costs in the study cannot be directly compared to the local and global emission reductions since they are derived for different time frames (costs for 2002-2010, emissions reductions in 2010 alone, as in PROAIRE).…”

Workshop on Review and Assessment of European Air Pollution Policies

“…London, Berlin and Paris all have around one third of their PM 10 concentrations coming from sources outside the city 18 , although this varies significantly from year to year and seems to be higher in those parts of Europe with a more continental climate. The secondary PM 10 is often brought in from a particular wind direction.…”

“…Many actions to address emissions of some pollutants may also affect emissions of other pollutants, such as the effect of GHG mitigation on aerosol concentrations and climate [14,15]. Likewise, there has been increased recognition of the "co-benefits" of GHG mitigation in terms of reduced air pollution [16,17], and studies to plan the control of GHGs and air pollutants simultaneously [18].…”