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Future-proof GHG and environmental emissions factors for accounting emissions from transport and logistics operations
Date de clôture : 5 sept. 2023  
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 Environnement
 Biocarburants
 IT
 Transport
 Sciences du climat
 Recherche
 Pollution

ExpectedOutcome:

Projects are expected to contribute to all of the following outcomes:

  • Establish a comprehensive set of harmonised GHG emission factors, for transport and logistics operations;
  • Explore synergies and establish horizontal cooperation among various organisational structures developing GHG emission factors for transport and logistics.
Scope:

Proposals should develop a comprehensive set of harmonised emission factors for the transport sector (freight and passenger), covering GHG emissions (CO2 equivalent) of transport and logistics operations. Proposals should address values for the entire transport/logistics chain and take up the full energy lifecycle (Well-To-Wheel/Wake).

Emission factors that relate the amount of GHG emission to the unit of energy consumed (for an energy-based calculation), or to the amount of GHG activity (for an activity-based calculation) are the basis of any GHG calculation. The increased efforts for measuring effects of climate change in various segments of the transport sector resulted in a range of values developed within the organisational structures of different transport modes, research entities and countries. Some of this work led to legitimate testing and development of the methodologies for the calculation and use of emission factors, or the generation of values that represent fuel specifications for given applications. However, much of it has merely resulted in a proliferation of apparently similar values creating confusion in the marketplace and bearing the risk of selection of sources/values purely on the basis of what is beneficial to the individual entity rather than what is correct.

This problem becomes more important in conjunction with the development of a wide set of technical solutions combating climate change, particularly the new and increasingly complex zero and low carbon energy mixes, including e- and biofuels. These solutions are deployed in the market very often with the support of dedicated financial mechanisms and programs, based on the estimated GHG emission reduction associated with the specific fuel technologies. Not only is it important for the climate impact that the emission calculations are ‘correct’[1], but when dealing with large amounts of transport energy even a small difference over an emission factor value can lead to a significant difference in the associated financial transaction. Without an agreed and validated set of default emission factors for a wide range of the most common energy sources and a mechanism whereby legitimate variations or new energy carriers can be regularly updated, many actions based on calculating GHG emission reduction can be considered to be a risk of conflict and associated legal dispute.

Proposals will have to address all of the following points:

  • Review the existing emission factors derived from the key global sources, duly reflecting the scientific state of the art and ensuring the coverage of new and conventional fuels.
  • Perform the gap analysis and develop emission factors for categories not yet covered, both for upstream and downstream emissions, taking into due consideration new production pathways, and addressing in particular the uncertainty and variation in the well to tank factors to be applied to the new fuels.
  • Establish a clearer set of rules regarding:
    1. Methodology – to ensure that the basis and legitimate use of the two fundamental methodology types (consequential and attributional) are properly understood and applied appropriately.
    2. Boundaries of calculation – to ensure that boundaries are not accidentally or deliberately set in order to favour particular outcomes.
    3. Common sets of fuel / energy specifications – to ensure that data labels and associated values are truly aligned between sources.
    4. Assumptions about input parameters that can result in variations in output values based on local circumstances for specific production.
    5. The basis for new energy carriers to be calculated quickly and consistently in order to avoid delaying the deployment of new, beneficial solutions.

Establish a simple guidance to the transport sector as to which emission factors are the agreed defaults, and why; under what circumstances an alternative can legitimately be used.

The project’s main governance (e.g. Steering Group, Advisory Board) is expected to provide for direct involvement of all relevant stakeholders, as well as relevant European Commission services.

The proposal should build on the existing and emerging EU regulatory frameworks (including Commission’s proposal for the Fit-for-55 package and the new initiative on harmonised measurement of transport and logistics emissions – ‘CountEmissions EU’), GHG emissions accounting standardisation activities (such as the future ISO standard 14083) and other relevant initiatives and projects. Given that emission factors are applied in a global transport market, efforts need to be made to ensure that internationally relevant bodies such as IMO or ICAO are involved alongside prominent European stakeholders.

[1] There may be no such thing as a 100% correct value, but it is essential there is a consensus and linked convention based around values within an agreed, small uncertainty threshold.



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