Modelling & Spatial Mapping of Residential-Sector Emissions for Sub-National & Urban Areas

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Urban Planning
• Climate Change Mitigation

Background:

• The residential sector contributes significantly to global energy-related Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions (33%).
• Urban areas are major contributors to global GHG emissions (approx. 70%).
• Accurate baseline emissions data is crucial for municipal climate action plans and achieving net-zero targets.

Purpose of the Study:

• To establish a novel methodology for a data-driven, spatial residential sector emissions model.
• To provide a replicable approach for sub-national municipalities to quantify baseline emissions.
• To support the development of urban climate action plans and mitigation strategies.

Main Methods:

• Combines publicly available census and building energy performance datasets.
• Utilizes a spatial mapping approach to visualize energy demand and emissions distribution.
• Methodology aligns with Global Covenant of Mayors and IPCC guidelines.

Main Results:

• Developed a novel methodology for a residential sector emissions model.
• Modeled and visualized energy demand and emissions distribution across an Irish urban study domain.
• The approach is adaptable for application in any urban area globally.

Conclusions:

• The presented methodology offers a robust framework for creating detailed residential sector emissions inventories.
• This data-driven, spatial approach is essential for informing effective urban climate mitigation strategies.
• The model can be a key component of future multi-sectoral emissions inventories for global cities.