Coupling Activity-Based Modeling and Life Cycle Assessment—A Proof-of-Concept Study on Cross-Border Commuting in Luxembourg

Abstract

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), in 2010 the transport sector was responsible for 23% of the total energy-related CO 2 emissions (6.7 GtCO 2 ) worldwide. Policy makers in Luxembourg are well-aware of the challenges and are setting ambitious objectives at country level for the mid and long term. However, a framework to assess environmental impacts from a life cycle perspective on the scale of transport policy scenarios, rather than individual vehicles, is lacking. We present a novel framework linking activity-based modeling with life cycle assessment (LCA) and a proof-of-concept case study for the French cross-border commuters working in Luxembourg. Our framework allows for the evaluation of specific policies formulated on the trip level as well as aggregated evaluation of environmental impacts from a life cycle perspective. The results of our proof-of-concept-based case study suggest that only a combination of: (1) policy measures improving the speed and coverage of the public transport system; (2) policy measures fostering electric mobility; and (3) external factors such as de-carbonizing the electricity mix will allow to counteract the expected increase in impacts due to the increase of mobility needs of the growing commuting population in the long term.

Consequential LCA for territorial and multimodal transportation policies: method and application to the free-floating e-scooter disruption in Paris

“…It is most common and was widely applied to transportation components -to infrastructures and vehicles first, then to means of transportation (de Bortoli et al, 2020b). Later, it was used at the regional scale to assess the environmental impacts of a static mobility demand (Le Féon, 2014), and a dynamic mobility demand depending on mobility supply when coupled with an activity-based model (Baustert et al, 2019). But while ALCA rather intends to assess the average environmental impact of a static system, CLCA must be used to assess the environmental consequences of an action or a decision on a system.…”

A more basic modeling framework for life cycle methods to cover non-linear, dynamic, and integrated effects–looking beyond linear inverse modeling

“…Note that it is strange that such modeling would be linked with only consequential LCA, since in attributional LCA the interlinked processes should as well be specified, among multiple alternatives. Covering dynamics could also be done by coupling with advanced agent-based or integrated assessment models (Baustert et al, 2019;Baustert et al, in press;Beltran et al, 2020). Yet, again, this does not cover a full dynamic system propagation if the values are used to parametrize matrices with LIM or linear multiplications, whereas it should replace LIM eventually altogether.…”

Energy Transitions in Western European Countries: Regulation Comparative Analysis

“…Additionally, the government should provide adequate resources to regulators and consumers, consider phasing out regulated tariffs for residential users and eliminate regulated electricity tariffs [55] and reticence towards investments [55]. The Luxembourg government (Figure 18) should gradually introduce carbon pricing tools, reduce duties and barriers to entry for RES suppliers and take political measures in favor of electric mobility [59,60].…”

“…The Luxembourg government (Figure 18) should gradually introduce carbon pricing tools, reduce duties and barriers to entry for RES suppliers and take political measures in favor of electric mobility [59,60].…”