Comprehensive research to develop an integrated method of calculation, estimation of transport sector greenhouse gas emissions

June 25, 2015

The Geological and Geophysical Institute of Hungary started a comprehensive research project to develop an integrated method of calculation, estimation of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, which intends to help long-term decarbonization of the transport sector. The project is supported by a grant from the Hungarian National Research, Development and Innovation Fund.

The research will result in a recommendation of the expert group on a single database of transport sector GHG emissions. That may be a great step forward compared to present state, when research groups in Hungary use diverse databases. However, today not only basic data, but the methods of calculating emissions of means of transport differ in publications of various experts too. That urges the elaboration of a scientifically based estimation of basic data, which may be input for long term calculations; calculation of emissions broken down to sectors and means of transport; comparison of estimation methods; furthermore the examination of international trends in the change of the transportation structure, considering Hungarian demographic trends, spatial development and other aspects.

The use of uniform basic data and the recommendation on the calculation method of long term emissions will make it possible to fill calculation models with data, thereby comparing, testing models, and defining realistic decarbonization tracks.
Tasks for defining relevant transportation indicators will be done parallel with the development of models. The assessment of indicators used by Hungarian and international authors will help us to make recommendations on the introduction and use of indicators which describe transportation emissions properly.

The specific emission reduction costs and potential results of several transport policy measures will be examined by using the results of the research, in order to optimalize the design of these measures.

More precise data may help transport sector decarbonization

15 December 2015

The results of a recently finished project of the Geological and Geophysical Institute of Hungary – National Adaptation Center (MFGI – NAC) may be useful tools to fight climate change. The project was implemented supported by a grant from the National Research, Development and Innovation Fund, and will enable a more precise calculation of transport sector greenhouse gas emissions. The methods developed may be used for emission reduction planning too.

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