Measuring greenhouse gas emissions: focus of two new EU-funded projects
Two new EU-funded projects that aim to investigate how we measure greenhouse gases have just got under way. One of the projects, titled AMITRAN ('Assessment methodologies for ICT in multimodal transport from user behaviour to CO2 reduction') aims to scientifically underpin carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions estimations by developing a methodology to assess the impact of ICT (information and communication technologies) and ITS (intelligent transport systems) on transport sector CO2 emissions. Bringing together partners from Belgium, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands and Romania, AMITRAN received EUR 1 900 000 of funding as part of the 'ICT' Theme of the Seventh Framework Programme (FP7). ICT measures can help transport become less carbon intensive and more efficient as well as increase safety, manage transport demand, ensure transit reliability and improve traffic flow. ICT use in the transport sector includes its application in navigation and travel information systems, route advice to supporting drivers in adopting eco-driving behaviour, logistics and fleet management systems and optimised traffic light phasing at junctions, reserving parking spaces and paying road tolls. AMITRAN project coordinator, Gerdien Klunder from the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO), set out the project background: 'ITS is a rapidly growing field in which there are numerous technologies and applications under development, and quite a few already on the market. Despite this, there is no consistent methodology allowing scientists to estimate potential CO2 emissions that the deployment of such technologies could reduce - and this information is critically important for decision-makers, for example, in the context of climate change agreements.' Han Zwijnenberg, another researcher from TNO, adds: 'While there are traffic and emission models that cover specific aspects of the mobility system, the interfaces between them are problematic. AMITRAN will ensure that models can "communicate" with each other in order to provide a "well-to-wheel", comprehensive and accurate assessment of emission reductions.' The final result of the project will be a publicly available checklist and handbook that can be used for future projects. They will serve as a reference in assessing the ITS benefits in terms of CO2 emission reductions for passenger transport and road, rail, and ship freight transport. But while CO2 attracts the most media attention, the harmful effects of other greenhouse gases must also be dealt with as a matter of urgency. That is why another new EU-funded initiative is working towards finding accurate measurements of greenhouse gases such as methane and nitrous oxide. INGOS ('Integrated non-CO2 greenhouse gas observation system') is funded in part by almost EUR 8 million under FP7's 'Infrastructures' Theme and brings together partner institutions from 14 participating countries: Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. So far, the figures for these greenhouse gases have to a large extent been calculated based on estimations. INGOS aims to provide actual measurements of emissions in the participating countries. Measurements from towers, peaks, masts and other relevant points around Europe are going to be carried out, and the network will also work with computer models to provide an accurate picture of where and how much is being emitted. The launch of these two new projects shows that whether on or off Europe's transport thoroughfares, accurate measurements of all greenhouse gases are essential for meeting the EU's climate action targets. Both AMITRAN and INGOS aim to move forward research into one of the most important and pressing challenges the EU faces today. The European Commission has proposed the ambitious target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions from the transport sector by 60% for the period from 1990 to 2050. But with present transport emissions levels currently 27% above 1990 levels, there remains a lot of work to be done.For more information, please visit: ERTICO-ITS Europe: http://www.ertico.com/ Risø National Laboratory for Sustainable Energy: http://www.risoe.dtu.dk/
Countries
Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, Denmark, Spain, Finland, France, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Sweden, United Kingdom