The Effect of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Mobility-Related GHG Emissions of the University of Oldenburg and Proposals for Reductions (original) (raw)
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Environmental Science & Technology Letters
The COVID-19 pandemic is the single largest event in contemporary history in terms of the global restriction of mobility, with the majority of the world population experiencing various forms of "lockdown". This phenomenon incurred increased amounts of teleworking and time spent at home, fewer trips to shops, closure of retail outlets selling non-essential goods, and the near disappearance of leisure and recreational activities. This paper presents a novel method for an economy-wide estimate of the emissions reductions caused by the restriction of movement. Using a global multiregional macroeconomic model complemented by Google Community Mobility Reports (CMRs) and national transport data, we cover 129 individual countries and quantify direct and indirect global emissions reductions of greenhouse gases (GHG; 1173 Mt), PM 2.5 (0.23 Mt), SO 2 (1.57 Mt), and NO x (3.69 Mt). A statistically significant correlation is observed between crosscountry emission reductions and the stringency of mobility restriction policies. Due to the aggregated nature of the CMRs, we develop different scenarios linked to consumption, work, and lifestyle aspects. Global reductions are on the order of 1−3% (GHG), 1−2% (PM 2.5), 0.5−2.8% (SO 2), and 3−4% (NO x). Our results can help support crucial decision making in the post-COVID world, with quantified information about how direct and indirect consequences of mobility changes benefit the environment.
Environmental Impacts of Changes in Travel Behaviour with Covid-19
Gazi University Journal of Science Part B: Art Humanities Design and Planning, 2021
During the Covid-19 pandemic, life in cities has slowed down. Many countries around the world have taken measures to reduce the spread of the epidemic. While flexible working strategy is being implemented in some workplaces, some workplaces have adopted the method of working from home online with the suitability of working conditions. Such strategies brought about by restrictions have also affected transportation, which is indispensable for societies and the most important infrastructure system of cities. Within the scope of this study, how much less damage to the environment as a result of not using private automobiles for homework travels with the strategy of working from home will be investigated with the determined sample. Information about their automobiles was obtained from the people in the sample determined by the survey method. The amount of CO₂ emitted to the environment due to homework travels was calculated and the results were evaluated.
Emission Impacts of Post-Pandemic Travel Behaviour in Intercity Corridors
Future Transportation, 2022
COVID-19 pandemic impacted the behaviour of travellers. While worldwide, overall emissions decreased during the lockdown, shared mobility options may be perceived as less safe in a post-pandemic reality, leading to increased emissions due to expanded individual transportation. In particular, intercity trips entail numerous environmental impacts, such as emissions. The main objective of this paper is to assess how intercity corridors’ emissions vary when travel behaviour of the population changes following a pandemic. Based on a macroscopic modelling framework, the methodology consisted of three main phases: data collection, traffic modelling and emission modelling. Different scenarios related to the impact of the pandemic were developed, and their impacts were analysed using several key performance indicators related to CO2 NOx emissions and travel time. Findings suggest that reducing the average number of occupants per vehicle reduces emissions, which do not increase linearly with ...
Sustainability
Ecological footprint (EF) determines the area of ecologically productive territory necessary to produce the resources utilised and to assimilate the waste produced by a given population over a year. Knowing your own EF is the first step in planning and implementing policies to reduce it. Considering that transport is a significant component of the impact of human activity on the environment, this study calculates the EF of the CO2 emissions associated with person mobility (EFM) at the University of A Coruña (UDC). The results presented are based on statistical inference from surveys conducted in 2008, 2016, and 2020. The period 2008–2016 coincides with the effects of the economic crisis, and 2020 with those of the COVID-19 pandemic. The EFM of UDC in 2016 was 2177 global hectares (gha), 148 times its biocapacity. Ninety-two percent of it was generated by car trips. Policies to reduce the environmental impact of mobility should focus on reducing car use. This study analyzes various f...
Journal of Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems, 2022
Many cities have set goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Mobility is a major target sector as it is still widely fossil fuel-dependent and largely car-oriented. In this paper, a new methodological approach for modelling the impact of different policies on mobility, energy demand and resulting flow and embedded greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles is derived up to 2050. Finally, this approach is applied to the case of the City of Vienna. Three scenarios are developed with different policy targets focusing on battery electric vehicles and public transport. Each scenario was calculated with an average mix of electricity and a mix of renewable energy sources to be reached by 2030. The major conclusions are: (i) The impact of policies is of tremendous importance; (ii) Travel activity must be reduced and (iii) Public transport must be supported (iv) The electricity mix has to be switched to renewable energy sources.
2021
Human behaviour change is necessary to meet targets set by the Paris Agreement to mitigate climate change. Restrictions and regulations put in place globally to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 during 2020 have had a substantial impact on everyday life, including many carbon-intensive behaviours such as transportation. Changes to transportation behaviour may reduce carbon emissions. Behaviour change theory can offer perspective on the drivers and influences of behaviour and shape recommendations for how policy-makers can capitalise on any observed behaviour changes that may mitigate climate change. For this commentary, we aimed to describe changes in data relating to transportation behavioursrelating to working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic across the Netherlands, Sweden and the UK. We display these identified changes in a concept map, suggesting links between the changes in behaviour and levels of carbon emissions. We consider these changes in relation to a comprehensive an...
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Impact of COVID-19 Mobility Changes on Air Quality in Warsaw
Applied Sciences
During a pandemic, the mobility of people changes significantly from the normal situation (the number of trips made, the directions of travel and the modes of transport used). Changes in mobility depend on the scale of the pandemic threat and the scale of the restrictions introduced and assessing the impact of these changes is not straightforward. This raises the question of the social cost of changes in mobility and their impact on the environment, including air quality. The article shows that it is possible to determine this impact using big data from mobile operators’-SIM card movements and data from air quality monitoring stations. Data on SIM card movements allows for reconstructing the state of the transport system before and during the different phases of a pandemic. The changes in mobility of people determined in this way can be related to the results of measurements of pollutant concentrations in the air. In this way, it is possible to identify links between mobility change...
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Coronavirus pandemic brought about stay-at-home strategies to diminish the danger of uncontrolled spread of the infection. This paper looks at the effect that these activities had on emissions caused by ground transport among different countries. CO2 emission year-to-date dropped by 5.4% with respect to the 2019 statistics, which means that the scope of the decrease is much more abrupt than during past financial crises or World War II. The circumstance of emissions relates to lockdown measures in every nation. By the beginning of July 2020, the pandemic’s impacts on worldwide emission reduced as lockdown limitations were loosened and some monetary exercises restarted, although the air pollution is still lower in contrast to 2019. The article traces back the reasons for the observed decline from the perspective of different countries and economy sectors. While there is no doubt that the major vector of changes was the COVID-19 pandemic, an increasingly important role of climate chang...