A report released by the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) recommends common guidelines for better estimating black carbon emissions from key sources, thereby facilitating North American cross-border comparisons and mitigation assessments of black carbon emission inventories.
The publication supports efforts to establish accurate baselines and reduction priorities across Canada, Mexico and the US.
15 January 2016: A report released by the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (CEC) recommends common guidelines for better estimating black carbon emissions from key sources, thereby facilitating North American cross-border comparisons and mitigation assessments of black carbon emission inventories. The publication supports efforts to establish accurate baselines and reduction priorities across Canada, Mexico and the US.
With a view to enhancing accuracy and improving estimates, the CEC report begins with a literature review examining, among other things, particulate matter (PM) emission inventory methods, resulting in initial recommendations. An expert review of these best practice approaches then informed the final methodologies recommended in the report. The review panel consisted of experts with experience in emissions research and inventory development in North America, Europe and Asia, and in all major black carbon source sectors.
Following an explanation of the use of the guidelines, the publication details sector-specific black carbon emission estimation methods for biomass burning, energy/industry, mobile sources, residential combustion and other sources (charbroiling, human cremation, structure and vehicle fires, and open burning of municipal solid waste). For each sector, the report provides information on specific sources of emission factors, activity and speciation factors. The authors intend that the guidelines will allow black carbon emissions inventories to be developed for all source categories.
A final section includes recommendations for further research, suggesting the most important area may be the improvement of speciation factors for black carbon, “both in terms of accounting for light-absorbing properties, and aligning these factors with the level of detail found in underlying PM emission factors.”
The CEC is a trinational organization facilitating cooperation on environmental matters among Canada, Mexico and the US. The three bodies of the CEC are a Council of governmental representatives, a Joint Public Advisory Committee (JPAC) and a Secretariat. [CEC Press Release] [CEC Publication Webpage] [Publication: North American Black Carbon Emissions: Recommended Methods for Estimating Black Carbon Emissions] [North American Black Carbon Emissions Estimation Guidelines Project Webpage]