Methodological approaches to the CO2 emissions estimation in rail transport

Abstract

Today there is a growing interest in the problems of assessing the impact of greenhouse gases on the environment. Modern methods for estimating the volume of CO2 emissions from cargo transportation processes are inaccurate. The study aims to develop a methodology for calculating and estimating the volume of CO2 emissions generated by rail transport during the transportation of goods and its subsequent validation. Research methods – analysis of Russian and international regulatory documents, scientific and practical methodological approaches to determine the volume of CO2 emissions for rail transport. It is substantiated that the actual methodological approach should consider direct emissions, indirect emissions and specific parameters: carbon intensity and cargo intensity, mass of transported cargo. The result of study is a methodology for calculating the volume of CO2 emissions, considering the specifics of freight transportation on railway transport and accounting for direct and indirect CO2 emissions. An example of calculating the volume of CO2 emissions during the transportation of building materials by rail between St. Petersburg and Murmansk is given. The proposed methodology makes it possible to include the amount of estimated CO2 emissions in the service, which will facilitate the introduction of "green" certificates for customers.