Calculating carbon emissions from personal travelling: insights from a top-down analysis of key calculators (original) (raw)

Assessing the Intent and Effectiveness of Carbon Footprint Calculators

2019

In the context of addressing global warming issues, one of the possible approaches is to provide individuals with tools that support change toward greener practices, as for example around commuting. This paper illustrates a study that we conducted on the effectiveness of self-tracking of commuting data where participants received daily feedback on the financial costs and CO2 emissions associated to their mobility practices. In the results, we describe situations where users do not accept the data and the models utilized to represent them, highlighting a limitation that diary instruments (and underlying models) of this type would have in supporting people to question and possibly change their mobility choices. On the basis of the study findings, we also describe a new model aimed at overcoming some of the limitations that the study showed, in particular by better connecting the individual environmental impact with the collective one.

Users’ Experiences with the Use of Transaction Data to Estimate Consumption-Based Emissions in a Carbon Calculator

Sustainability

With global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions ever increasing, we are currently seeing a renewed interest in carbon footprint calculators (or carbon calculators for short). While carbon calculators have traditionally calculated emissions based on user input about e.g., food, heating, and traveling, a new development in this area is the use of transaction data to also estimate emissions based on consumption. Such carbon calculators should be able to provide users with more accurate estimations, easier input possibilities, and an incentive to continue using them. In this paper, we present the results from a survey sent to the users of such a novel carbon calculator, called Svalna. Svalna offers users the possibility to connect their bank account. The transaction data are then coupled with Environmental Extended Multi Regional Input Output data (EE-MRIO) for Swedish conditions which are used to determine a continuous overview of the user’s greenhouse gas emissions from consumption. The ai...

An Evidence-Based Assessment of Online Carbon Calculators

Online carbon footprint calculators have recently become a popular tool for educating the public about its climate impact. While calculators abound, no standards exist concerning how personal carbon footprints should be determined. As a result, prior studies have concluded that similar input assumptions can yield vastly different results depending on which calculator is used. Previous studies about carbon calculators have compared the modeling methodology used and the resulting footprint calculations. While providing useful insights, this approach does not leverage scholarly studies in order to create an objective yardstick for comparing the calculators. Prior studies also do not provide evidence-based prescriptions concerning how online carbon footprinting practice can be improved. To address the present situation, this study makes two contributions to the literature on carbon footprinting. First, the available evidence-base is synthesized in order to derive a set of 13 principles concerning how personal carbon footprints should be determined. Second, the same principles are used to objectively evaluate 15 commonly used carbon footprint calculators. The findings of the study indicate that carbon footprinting practice lags behind scholarly best-practice prescriptions. This creates an opportunity to use the research findings to improve current practice including driving standardization concerning how carbon footprints are determined.

Taming of the few—The unequal distribution of greenhouse gas emissions from personal travel in the UK

Energy Policy, 2008

Greenhouse gas emissions from personal transport have risen steadily in the UK. Yet, surprisingly little is known about who exactly is contributing to the problem and the extent to which different groups of the population will be affected by any policy responses. This paper describes an innovative methodology and evaluation tool for profiling annual greenhouse gas emissions from personal travel across all modes of travel. A case study application of the methodology involving a major survey of UK residents provides an improved understanding of the extent to which individual and household travel activity patterns, choice of transport mode, geographical location, socio-economic and other factors impact on greenhouse gas emissions. Air and car travel dominate overall emissions. Conversely, landbased public transport accounts for a very small proportion of emissions on average. There is a highly unequal distribution of emissions amongst the population, independent of the mode of travel, location and unit of analysis. The top 10% of emitters are responsible for 43% of emissions and the bottom 10% for only 1%. Income, economic activity, age, household structure and car availability significantly influence emissions levels. Key policy implications of the results are discussed. The paper concludes by suggesting potential applications of the methodology and evaluation tool. r

Beyond Carbon Footprint Calculators. New Approaches for Linking Consumer Behaviour and Climate Action

Sustainability

This paper presents a carbon footprint (CF) observatory recently developed within our research group. It aims to introduce a new concept of CF accountability, which focused not just on measuring CF, but also on making users reflect about and eventually change their lifestyles to reduce their personal emissions. With this conception, the CO2web observatory includes not only a CF calculator, but also the CF of different alternative consumption scenarios. Therefore, the user may be more aware of the impact of different personal decisions, such as emissions linked to different food, cars, home appliances or pets. In addition, the CF calculator provides quantitative comparisons of the emissions linked to current habits of users with those of similar cohorts, along with specific advices for those consumption sectors where emissions are significantly higher than their cohort’s average.

Personal Transport Emissions within London: Exploring Policy Scenarios and Carbon Reductions Up to 2050

International Journal of Sustainable Transportation, 2011

This research explored the possibility of achieving significant carbon reductions from personal land-based transport using London as a case study. A profile of carbon emissions from personal land-based transport modes was derived using Great Britain National Travel Survey (NTS) data and a range of carbon emissions factors. A carbon calculator provided carbon consumption per trip. NTS survey data were grossed up to national level using Census of Population data. A baseline of carbon emissions, based on equal per capita consumption, was projected to 2050 using estimates of future population. Four future scenarios were developed and tested using this data. These were: (a) based on the London Mayor's Climate Change Action Plan; (b) a technology focussed scenario; (c) a personal carbon trading scenario; and (d) a radical walking and cycling scenario. Results suggest that the latter two scenarios have the potential to achieve emissions reductions in excess of 80%, while scenarios (a) and (b) are somewhat weaker, though still achieve substantial reductions in carbon emissions compared to business as usual.

Exploring the Use of a Carbon Footprint Calculator Challenging Everyday Habits

Nordic Human-Computer Interaction Conference

Carbon calculators have been put forth as a tool to motivate sustainable behaviour change in people. However, the approach of "just" presenting numbers to communicate climate footprints has not been found to be an effective strategy. In this paper, we investigate the use of an application that combines carbon footprint calculations with gamelike features in order to address the gap between awareness and behaviour. Our results are based on an interview study and show that while respondents appreciate the idea, there are several problem areas which have implications for the design of carbon calculators, including issues with targeting the "right users", the use of gamification and the absence of a social context. Furthermore, the results point towards general barriers and opportunities for design when the aim is to design for sustainable behaviour change. This includes a need to be adaptive to the transitioning process towards a low carbon lifestyle.

Quantifying the Carbon Dioxide Emissions Resulting from Awareness-Raising Actions of Sustainable Mobility

Society with Future: Smart and Liveable Cities, 2020

Currently, the transport sector is a major contributor to global greenhouse gases emissions. The evaluation of projects that promote the decarbonization in cities is mainly focused on calculating the reduction of CO2 emissions. The calculation methodology takes into account the characteristics of the city car fleet where these projects are implemented. In the case of the "SchoolBus" project, promoted by the Braga Municipal Council during the 2018-2019 school year, the average value of reduction was of 34.9 tonCO2eq/year. The number of vehicles circulating in the study area, the emission factor related to the type of vehicle and its fuel and the distance traveled by them were the main parameters used to calculate CO2 emissions. The impacts of the "SchoolBus" project on stakeholders and awareness-raising actions of sustainable mobility can be quantified in terms of CO2, by analyzing the population's interest in joining more sustainable modes of transport. Thus, it is possible to evaluate the potential of the awareness-raising actions, applied in the study area, in the decarbonization in a larger area (i.e. the whole municipality). At the same time, it is possible to compare and analyze the calculated values in relation to the quantified potential range of effects of policy measures on CO2 emissions using transport demand for the year 2030, indicated by the European Commission and adapted to the area of study, by introducing measures of sustainable mobility in the territory.