How can we alter our carbon footprint? Estimating GHG emissions based on travel survey information

Abstract

The City of Montreal has taken recent initiatives to significantly reduce overall greenhouse (GHG) emissions from the transport sector and has made large investments in alternative transportation. In particular, the City has called upon the participation of all businesses and institutions to further these goals. In light of these recent plans, this study identifies with two objectives: first, to develop a methodology for estimating GHG emissions generated by commuters to McGill University's downtown campus; and secondly, to better understand who, how, and when each commuter to McGill generates travel-related GHG. Mode split, travel distance, age, gender and job category were uncovered by a 2011 travel survey that we conducted across the University, from which daily individual GHG emissions are estimated. Details about these trips not only reveal who the largest polluters are and where they are coming from, but also the seasonality of their emissions. These associations are then used to narrate scenarios which present alternatives to the structure of individuals' commutes by examining the outcomes of selected shifts in travel behavior on total GHG emissions.

Perceptions, Preferences, and Behavior Regarding Energy and Environmental Costs: The Case of Montreal Transport Users

“…The average passenger car, representing the vehicle age distribution of cars in Montreal, emits between 180 and 650 g of CO 2 equivalent (CO 2 eq) per kilometer [33]. Environment and Climate Change Canada estimates the social cost of carbon (SCC) at $41/ton ($33 US/ton) [34].…”

“…Using an average car load factor of 1.6 [35], this would result in GHG social cost between $0.005/km ($0.004 US/km) and $0.02/km ($0.016 US/km). The Société de transport de Montréal, the public transport agency operating the buses and metro systems in Montreal, reports that each bus emits approximately 1600 g CO 2 eq/km while accommodating 40 passengers on average in the morning [33]. This results in 40 g CO 2 eq/km per passenger.…”

Investigating the link between carbon dioxide emissions and transport-related social exclusion in rural Northern Ireland

“…For example, Ko et al (2011) have reported that on average, each person emits about 1.6 kg CO 2 a day in Seoul. In contrast, this level of CO 2 emission was reported for a single trip to McGill University for different groups (Mathez et al 2013). Our weekly finding was found to be slightly higher than the previously reported rates, which suggests that people in rural areas emit more CO 2 per capita.…”

“…As a result, researchers have started using disaggregate measures in order to understand the complexity and patterns of CO 2 emissions associated with personal travel. The use of household travel survey data (HTSD) has been identified as the most effective way of modelling the complexity of CO 2 emissions in these studies (see Brand and Preston 2010;Darido et al 2014;Ko et al 2011;Mathez et al 2013). Ko et al (2011) have identified groups of high CO 2 emitters in the Seoul Metropolitan Area using the 2006 HTSD.…”

“…This work reported that the top 10 % of emitters in Seoul were responsible for 63 % of emissions with adult males being the largest emitters in the city (3.9 kg/day). Using the characteristics of the last trip made (mode, distance, speed) to McGill University and associated emission factors, Mathez et al (2013) identified socio-temporal patterns of CO 2 emitters. The study then used these identified patterns and generated a number of CO 2 emission scenarios (e.g.…”