UNFCCC Secretariat, Sustainable Development Mechanisms (SDM)Lambert Schneider, Team Leader Methodologies Development & Improvement

Tool to determine emissions from transportation of freight

UNFCCC Practitioner Workshop on Transport CDM Methodologies

Bonn, 3 March 2011

Tool to determine emissions from transportation of freight

Scope of the tool

• Applicability: Projects with small emissions from freight transportation. For example:

- Use of biomass for power or heat generation

- Use of alternative raw materials in cement production

• Transport means: Road transportation by trucks

- Potential future extension to railways, ships and aviation

• Objectives:

- Ensuring consistency between methodologies

- Offering simplified methods to determine minor emissions

Tool to determine emissions from transportation of freight

Emissions calculation

Option A: Monitoring of fuel consumption

• Most accurate determination of emissions

• Monitoring costs

Option B: Use of conservative default values

• Simplified determination of emissions

• Only minor monitoring requirements

• Simple to apply if freight is transported by a third party

• Reasonably conservative estimates => slightly less CERs

Tool to determine emissions from transportation of freight

Application of conservative default values

• Default values are expressed in gram CO2 per ton-kilometre

• PPs only need to know

- the type and quantity of freight transported (e.g. X tons of wood chips)

- the origin and destination / distance travelled

- the vehicle class used (e.g. 25 – 40 tons)

Tool to determine emissions from transportation of freight

Example from AM0090

Tool to determine emissions from transportation of freight

Key assumptions in deriving default values

• Vehicle fuel efficiencies

• Reasonable classification of vehicle types

• Load on main and return trips

• Topography (e.g. slope)

• Traffic conditions (e.g. speed)

• Fuel types used

Define reasonably conservative assumptions

Tool to determine emissions from transportation of freight

Key questions and next steps

• Are comprehensive data sources on vehicle emission factors available from developing countries?

• Which assumptions on topography, traffic conditions and vehicle loads can be regarded as reasonably conservative?

• How can fuel consumption be monitored in practice?

• Next steps

• Consultancy on vehicle emission factors

• Consideration/finalization by MP49 (May 2011)